J LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. J. 

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PRACTICAL 



DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 



BY JEFFERSON RENFREW, 

DEACON OF THE BAPTIST CHURCH IN GROTON, VERMONT. 

AUTHOR OF "THE BRANCH AND THE VINE." 



s Beliold, I come qxxicli:ly. : 



PHILADELPHIA : 

JAS. B. RODGERS, PRINTER, 52 AND 54 NORTH SIXTH STREET. 

1867. 






Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1867, by 

JEFFERSON RENFREW, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Cornrt of the Eastern District 

of Pennsylvania. 




PREFATORY REMARKS. 



The unpretending author would lay no claim to eru- 
ditical skill or classical lore, but would merely say that 
the following pages have been selected from discourses 
which, when originally prepared, were never intended to 
reach beyond the church with which he is connected, and 
the congregation with whom he resides. 

They were delivered during either stated or occasional 
Pastoral absence, when "strictly clerical labor" could not 
be obtained. And they are now presented to the public 
with the humble trust that God will bless this effort to 
advance the Redeemer's kingdom. That the blessing of 
the Most High may rest upon those who may peruse 
these pages, and that this work may be the means, in the 
hand of God, of awakening never-dying souls, and com- 
forting the people of God, is the earnest prayer of the 
author. 

JEFFERSON RENFREW. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE. 

Discourse I. 
The Matchless Condescension of Christ 5 

Discourse II. 
The Importance of Christian Effort 28 

Discourse III. 
Christ's Vicarious Death 50 

Discourse IV. 
A Solemn Question 68 

Discourse V. 
Christian Blessedness 90 

Discourse VI. 
An Important Inquiry 107 



DISCOURSE I. 

THE MATCHLESS CONDESCENSION OF CHRIST, 
"It is I; be not afraid.''' — Mark vi. 50. 

The occasion which drew forth this expression 
from the lips of our Saviour, was one of lasting inte- 
rest to his disciples. Worn out and exhausted, the 
apostles had returned to Christ, after having tested in 
some degree the wonderful power with which they 
were endowed. They gathered themselves together 
unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they 
had done, and what they had taught. Our Saviour, 
seeing that they had no rest, and feeling that their 
temporal bodies needed repose, requests them to come 
apart into a desert place to rest awhile, doubtless that 
they might thereby receive physical strength to enable 
them to endure the hardships through which they 
were being called upon to pass. They therefore de- 
part privately with Jesus, into a desert place, by ship. 
But the people seeing them depart, and anticipating 
whither they were going, outwent them, and a vast 
multitude meet them upon the other side. The com- 
passion of the Saviour was at once drawn out upon 



6 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

the multitude which met him, because they were as 
sheep having no shepherd; and when the. day was 
far spent, the five thousand are miraculously fed by 
the Saviour, which miracle answered the twofold pur- 
pose of supplying the temporal wants of the multitude, 
and substantiating the divinity of Christ. After the 
multitude had eaten, Jesus constrains his disciples to 
get into the ship, and depart for the other side, whilst 
he tarried to send away the people. Observe now, 
the Saviour of the world, our kinsman Redeemer, 
leaving the busy world for a season, and departing 
into a solitary mountain to pray. Oh, what wonder 
that the poet finds his thoughts guided to the shades 
of evening as an appropriate time for the believer to 
lift his heart to God in prayer, when we thus behold 
Jesus ascending the mountain to pray at the close of 
the day? 

"I love to steal awhile away 
From every cumbering care, 
And spend the hours of setting day 
In humble, grateful prayer/' 

As darkness covers the earth, behold the disciples 
toiling in rowing, for the wind was contrary, and Je- 
sus standing upon the distant shore. Presently he 
lifts his foot, and places it upon the surging wave, 
which firmly bears his sacred form, and, nearing his 
now anxious and troubled disciples, he calms their 
fears by these cheering words: "It is I; be not afraid/' 



THE MATCHLESS CONDESCENSION OF CHRIST. 7 

He goes up into the ship, and the troubled waters 
cease to roll and swell, the ship ceases to be tossed 
by the angry wave, and the weary disciples are re- 
leased from their hours of toil. 

We may, in this brief narrative, behold a deep 
manifestation of the Saviour's power. Well may our 
hearts be struck with wonder and amazement while 
thus viewing his Omnipotent power, and while listen- 
ing to his sweet words of cheer. 

With these few introductory remarks we shall now 
proceed to speak, in the first place, upon — The match- 
less condescension of Christ. 

And secondly: His constant watch-care over his 
people. 

And, in the third and last place, we shall dwell 
upon the sweet comfort and security which is thus 
given to the believers. 

First, then : The matchless condescension of Christ. 

When Jesus left the higher realms to visit a fallen 
world, his mission was none other than a mission of 
mercy. Rays of divine glory encircled his sacred 
brow as he descended to earth to redeem a fallen race 
through his own precious blood; being truly the In- 
finite Jehovah, the Eternal God, yea, even the God- 
man. 

For Jesus thus to become man, and dwell with the 
children of men, ever doing the will of his Father, 
constantly going about doing good, is a theme which 



8 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

is as exhaustless and unfathomable as the bottomless 
ocean. 

We behold him in his early life dwelling in obscu- 
rity, surrounded — not with the great, the mighty, 
and the noble — but we behold him brought up amidst 
that class, who are even to this present day his most 
constant and faithful followers. 

At length the great mission for which he came 
must be engaged in; and with tears, entreaties, and 
warnings, did our blessed Lord give his life and 
strength, that the ruined race might be reconciled to 
God. Sharing in the toils, sufferings, and depriva- 
tions of his followers, having nought where to lay his 
head, we see him seeking out the lost sheep of the 
house of Israel. The multitude at times follow him, 
and throng him, and his condescension may be most 
clearly seen when he even deigns to dwell with the' 
most humble and lowly. The proud Pharisee would 
not allow himself to stoop to the common people, his 
self-righteousness was such as to preclude all thoughts 
of such a character; but Jesus, the Divine Mediator, 
our Saviour, was meek and lowly, emphatically a man 
of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. " Foxes have 
holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the 
Son of man hath not where to lay his head." Oh! 
who can thus behold our immaculate Lord, without 
so much as a place on the earth upon which to rest 
his weary head, without so much as a shelter even 



THE MATCHLESS CONDESCENSION OF CHRIST. 9 

in which to find protection from the beating storm, 
without so much as the common peasant daily enjoys; 
who, we ask. can thus behold the immaculate Son of 
God, and not be moved with deep feelings of emo- 
tion ? And, do we for a moment pause, and ponder 
the reason of all this? Do we, when viewing our 
blessed Lord, ask ourselves the question, Why did 
Jesus condescend to endure such a life of toil and de- 
privation amongst the children of men? The two- 
fold answer is ever glowing in the gospel, and at once 
falls upon the ear, because of man's sinfulness, and a 
Saviour's love. Yes, love reigns in the Saviour's 
bosom, when man seeks to live at the greatest dis- 
tance from God. Do you ask for proof? We refer 
you to — 1st, Christ's teachings; 2d, his example. 

1st. TVe find, upon a perusal of the Saviour's word, 
that every precept which is given us is, as it were, 
burning with love, and infuses the same into the 
hearts of all those who will consent to become his 
followers. Glance only for a moment at his sermon 
on the mount, and what important and practical in- 
struction do we find ! Hear the gracious words which 
fall from his blessed lips, when he says: — "Blessed 
are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of 
heaven. Blessed are they that mourn : for they shall 
be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall 
inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger 

and thirst after righteousness : for they shall be filled. 
2* 



10 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

Blessed are the merciful : for they shall obtain mercy. 
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 
Blessed are the peacemakers : for they shall be called 
the children of God. Blessed are they which are 
persecuted for righteousness' sake : for theirs is the 
kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall 
revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner 
of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and 
be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in 
heaven. Love your enemies, bless them that curse 
you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for 
them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." 
What a brilliant page of instruction ! How deeply 
inwrought within every precept is the principle of 
love; and how contrary is this to the natural incli- 
nations of the human heart. How strangely averse 
is the natural heart to exercising a spirit of love to 
our enemies. Ask the natural man to love his ene- 
mies, and how quickly does he resort to justice, and 
say: "he has done me an injury, and therefore I 
cannot but hate him." Poor fallen man! He reali- 
zes not that he himself has many times injured his 
God, and is already condemned at his holy bar. He 
realizes not that he and his enemy are perhaps both 
rebelling against God daily, and while man would 
thus seek to crush his enemy to the earth ; he gives no 
heed to his own situation, and realizes not that an 
offended God now stands ready to receive and forgive 



THE MATCHLESS CONDESCENSION OF CHRIST. 11 

him, but, if rejected, will ere long place justice to 
the line and judgment to the plummet. 

Our Saviour not only commands us to love and 
pray for our enemies, but he, in order to the more 
clearly rivet our duty into our minds, appeals di- 
rectly to our rational faculties, and comes home to 
our candid and enlightened judgment, and gives us 
the lasting precept, which, when lived up to, causes 
the believer's light to shine with a brilliancy which 
clearly proves the reality of the religion of Jesus. 
"As ye would that men should do unto you, do ye 
even so unto them." By these words we are taught 
to weigh unprejudicedly both sides of the question, 
by placing ourselves in the opposite scale, and allow- 
ing our fellow man to stand in the same situation in 
which we actually stand, and by thus candidly view- 
ing the matter in the gospel light, we are enabled to 
arrive at a just decision. Do we startle and say that 
were we to follow this principle out in the minutiae 
of our affairs, we should be often injured in conse- 
quence? True, our enemies by this means might 
gain a seemingly temporary advantage over us; but 
listen! c; Be of good cheer, I have overcome the 
world." Jesus is with his people in the fulfilment 
of all of the commands and precepts which he has 
given us, and it is our duty to obey his will in all 
things; and, while doing so, his gracious voice may 
ever be heard whispering in our ear the sweet words 



12 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

of comfort, "It is I; be not afraid." We shall 
now present our second point in connection with this 
subject, viz.: Christ's example. 

The example of Christ affords the most striking 
and convincing proof of his love. Spurned at times 
from the presence of the people, he meekly submits 
to their fearful insults, and raises not his arm in de- 
fence. When they took up stones to cast at him in 
the temple, did he rail upon them? No; he hid 
himself, and went out of the temple and so passed 
by. When he came to his own country, Nazareth, 
and went into the synagogue and preached the ac- 
ceptable year of the Lord, which caused those who 
were in the synagogue to be filled with wrath, so 
that they even laid hold of him, thrust him out of 
the city, and led him to the brow of the hill to cast 
him down headlong, did he seek to destroy them ? 
No; "he passing through the midst of them went 
his way." And at last, when he was seized by an 
infuriated throng, and led by the Jewish rabble into 
the presence of the high priest, and when they that 
held him smote him and struck him on the face, did 
he exercise his power to destroy them? When he 
was taken to the Jewish Council, and from thence 
led away to Pilate the Roman Governor, and there 
falsely accused, did he call upon the legions of angels 
at his command to destroy his accusers? And, at 
last, when he was led to Mount Calvary, and there 



TIIE MATCHLESS CONDESCENSION OF CHRIST. 13 

suspended upon the cross, surrounded by inhuman 
wretches who exultingly exclaimed: "'Thou that de- 
stroyeth the temple and raiseth it again in three 
days, save thyself and come down from the cross," 
did he use the power which he had to disperse and 
destroy them at a single breath ? Ah, no ! he lifts 
his thoughts above, and offers his dying prayer, 
saying, " Father, forgive them, for they know not 
what they do." Oh ! who can t*hus view our Saviour 
and not be touched with tender emotions ? Who can 
close his ears to the Saviour's call when we thus view 
him, not merely condescending to dwell with men of 
low estate and humble birth, but even submitting to 
be suspended upon the cross between two thieves, as 
if they deemed him the worst of the three; and there 
expiring between the heavens and earth, as if deemed 
by his enemies unfit for either? Oh! believers in 
Jesus, behold our blessed Saviour! Behold, for a 
moment, the inexpressible love which burned in the 
Saviour's bosom for a sinful world, — for you and 
me, — as he meekly meets the tide of fury which 
wicked hands caused to flow in upon him. Yea, 
more than this, as he meets not only the fearful 
wrath of an uprising and rebellious people, but which 
is infinitely more, behold him as he meets our sins at 
the bar of justice, and pays in his own actual suffer- 
ing the entire demands of justice against us, by 
bearing our sins in his own body upon the tree. 



14 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

With such views of the Saviour, who can fail to feel 
within the heart a deep sense of indescribable love 
and gratitude to him who thus displays for us such 
matchless condescension ? 

" Come, guilty sinners, come and see 
Your great atoning sacrifice ; 
Behold, on yonder gory tree, 

The King of kings for rebels dies. 

Thy dying, living, boundless love, 
While here below shall tune our tongue ; 

And when we join the choirs above, 
Thy love be our triumphant song." 

Secondly: Christ's watch-care over his people. 
Jesus not merely condescends to reinstate man into 
favor with God, by giving himself as a voluntary sa- 
crifice; but, aware of the feebleness and the frailty of 
man's nature, he exercises a constant watch-care over 
his followers. 

Promises innumerable are given us, assuring us 
that Jesus is ever near to his disciples, and that his 
thoughts toward his trusting ones are none other 
than thoughts of love. Although it be true that 
Jesus loves the sinner, and yearns to embrace him as 
he yearned over Jerusalem when he exclaimed, u O 
Jerusalem! Jerusalem! which killest the prophets, 
and stonest them that are sent unto thee ; how often 
would I have gathered thy children together, as a 
hen gathereth her brood under her wings;" still there 



THE MATCHLESS CONDESCENSION OF CHRIST. 15 

is not that approving love which Jesus constantly 
exercises towards his humble and faithful followers. 
Would we then obtain the loving favor of Christ? 
we must seek first the kingdom of God and his righ- 
teousness, and in doing so we may rest assured that 
all needful things will be added unto us. Yes, dear 
hearers, wherever the true disciple wends his steps 
he can confidently look up to Jesus, feeling that, 
although the earth be shaken from its foundations, 
and the mountains be cast into the sea, still the be- 
liever can recline upon the arm of the Saviour, while 
he feels to exclaim, surely "his left hand is under my 
head, and his right hand doth embrace me." "Are 
two sparrows sold for a farthing? and not one of 
them shall fall on the ground without your Fathe. . 
But even the very hairs of your head are all num- 
bered. Fear ye not, therefore, ye are of more value 
than many sparrows." By the foregoing language, 
we are given to see in the clearest light possible, that 
the hand of mercy is over us in love. Again, Christ 
assures us that he is the good Shepherd, and that he 
even giveth his life for his sheep. And, dear hearers, 
let us listen still farther to the voice of the Saviour. 
M My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and 
they follow me : and (blessed thought) I give unto 
them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither 
shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My 
Father which gave them me is greater than all ; and 



16 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's 
hand." 

With such a watchful and gracious protector and 
preserver, can we not feel to rejoice and be glad, and 
may we not trust in him more confidently than ever 
before? The Scriptural figure brought to view, re- 
presents the Saviour as daily, yea, even hourly watch- 
ing over his people. But, with these promises and 
assurances before us, alas ! the believer is often liable 
to stray from the fold, and forget the compassionate 
yearnings of our blessed Lord. How often does the 
Saviour seek us out and draw us back to himself, 
when we have been wandering upon the dark moun- 
tains of unbelief, surrounded by yawning chasms and 
frightful precipices. How often have we, like the 
swallow which dips its wings in the running brook, 
in like manner sunk low in spiritual things, and 
even stirred the dark waters of sin. But, just then, 
when like the Psalmist our feet had well nigh slipped, 
the Saviour had spoken to us and we have heard his 
warning voice, and again been led to seek his face 
and hide ourselves beneath the shadow of his wing. 
Oftentimes, too, when we have been thrown into 
deep trial and sorrow, and when our hearts have been 
rent with deep anguish, we have heard the gentle 
steppings of the Saviour, and have caught the sweet 
sound of his voice as he has spoken to us, saying, "It 
is I; be not afraid." 



THE MATCHLESS CONDESCENSION OF CHRIST. 17 

How often lias the believing mother, when, per- 
haps, called upon to stand by the death-bed of a dying 
child , either in its infantile days, or more mature 
years, stood with a breaking heart, and sought to re- 
move the fell disease which was preying upon the 
mortal frame. Oh ! how her heart has beat with 
anguish, and how her frame has shook with grief as 
she has thus watched the sinking form, and at last 
seen the loved one close its eyes forever. The waves 
of sorrow have then rolled with terrific fury, and the 
frail bark of life has been almost rent asunder as 
the foaming waves have been sweeping over and 
dashing around it; and, when almost engulfed 
beneath the angry waves, Jesus has come into the 
heart and kindly spoken these glad words of comfort, 
"It is Ij be not afraid." How quickly at such 
times has the deep foundation of grief been dried, 
and the foaming ocean of sorrow been stilled. The 
frail bark now glides smoothly along, the turbid waves 
have ceased to roll and swell, for the voice of Jesus 
has reached the afflicted mariner, and he has spoken 
to the waves, saying, " Peace, be still 1" 

"'Tis faith supports my feeble soul, 
In times of deep distress ; 
"When storms arise, and billows roll, 
Great God, I trust thy grace. 

Bereft of friends, beset with foes, 
With dangers all around ; 

3 



18 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

To thee I all my fears disclose, 
In thee my help is found. 

In every want, in every strait, 

To thee alone I fly ; 
When other comforters depart, 

Thou art forever nigh." 

Again, Christ never brings any joys or sorrows 
upon his people but what are for their good. Often- 
times viewing things with our short sighted vision 
we are apt to feel unreconciled at first with the 
dealings of God with us. To the believer who has 
enjoyed for a season uninterrupted sunshine the op- 
posite seems almost at times to call forth murmur- 
ings. But, could he view the dealings of God with 
him from a more elevated standpoint, he would see 
that the great Shepherd is watching over him in 
love, and seeking to purify his soul so as to the more 
clearly reflect the divine image. How often is it the 
case that afflictions draw us to the throne of grace. 
While enjoying uninterrupted sunshine we have per- 
haps become heedless and cold, and we have left the 
paths of peace, and, like the condor, are now dwell- 
ing (in a spiritual sense) among the cliffs of per- 
petual snow. Afflictions come, but they come not 
by chance. Waves of sorrow and adversity swell 
around us ; but those waves are under the control of 
the Saviour ; and the paths through which we are 
walking are the paths of his own appointment. The 



THE MATCHLESS CONDESCENSION OF CHRIST. 19 

Red Sea may look frightful, but its waters will part 
as we enter and by faith we may pass through un- 
harmed. The waves of a Tiberian Sea may roll and 
swell around us, but listen for a moment, a voice di- 
vine is even now speaking, saying, "Peace, be still." 

How often is it the case that the mariner becomes 
thoughtless and careless and dreams not of death 
while gliding over the calm ocean, but let a fearful 
gale arise and rend the ship in twain, plunging the 
inmates into the dark blue waters, then, as that care- 
less and reckless mariner in the death-struggle with 
the waves catches a lonely plank or broken spar 
how imploringly he seeks the presence and compas- 
sion of the Saviour. Thus is it with believers. They 
are out upon the great ocean of life, and when all 
is calm they are apt to become careless and rest at 
ease in Zion ; but when the Master sees fit to call 
us nearer to himself he stirs the calm ocean, and 
how quickly our thoughts turn to him, and like the 
Galilean disciples we receive him and all is calm 
and tranquil. 

True, calm and Christian resignation can only be 
attained and enjoyed by dwelling at the feet of Je- 
sus. Like Mary we must listen to the Saviour's 
words and treasure them up in our hearts. 

Again, the nearer we live to Christ the greater 
realization will we have of his constant watch-care. 
When the multitude thronged the Saviour did they 



20 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

not become convinced that he was not unconcerned 
as to even their temporal welfare? Did he send 
them away famishing for want of food? No, he 
takes the scanty repast which is before them, blesses 
it with his own lips and miraculously enlarges it so 
as to even more than supply the wants of all. Think 
you that that same Jesus who thus addressed and 
fed the multitude, and who walked upon the sea of 
Galilee is not still with his disciples? Yea, verily, 
his delight is still to dwell with the children of men, 
and his intercessory voice is constantly pleading be- 
fore the Father's throne in our behalf. Time abates 
not the Saviour's love, nor diminishes in the least the 
efficacy of his blood. "Jesus Christ the same yester- 
day, to-day and forever," is still the believer's hope 
and theme. Man may change, but Jesus never. 
His love to his people is an everlasting love, and 
sooner will the sun refuse to shine and the stars of 
heaven fall than the Saviour forget his chosen people. 
The divine promise a Lo I am with you alway " 
stands as firm and as sure as eternity itself. While 
trusting in this promise a Peter could stand up and 
proclaim the Saviour to dying men although aware of 
the fact that he must at last suffer death by follow- 
ing in the footsteps of the Saviour. Our Lord hav- 
ing assured him that "when he became old another 
should gird him and lead him whither he wouldst 
not." • A Paul could in like manner boldly proclaim 



THE MATCHLESS CONDESCENSION OF CHRIST. 21 

a crucified and risen Saviour, whether he be in Jeru- 
salem, or Damascus; Antioch, or Ephesus; Phillip- 
pi, or Thessalonica; Corinth, or at Rome. Here 
and elsewhere, his theme was naught but "Jesus 
Christ; and him Crucified." Nor are these instances 
exceptions, for not only in the Apostolic age, but 
in every age the same protective hand has been 
clearly seen, and the same strengthening grace freely 
given, and to-day we may even behold that same arm 
extended over us in love, and realize that same sup- 
porting grace within our hearts, in kind at least, if 
not in degree. 

Thirdly : The sweet comfort and security which 
is thus given to the believer. 

The believer, as we have before seen, is a privi- 
leged being. Demands are made upon him, but 
there is a sweet comfort and security interwoven with 
and resting upon the fulfilment of those demands, 
which enables him to feel a divine security which 
nature and time cannot remove. Being kept by the 
power of God through faith unto salvation, there re- 
mains naught which <ean effectually mar his happi- 
ness or sever this relationship. This thought has 
ever been, and will be to the latest ages, a sweet so- 
lace to the believer. No security in ourselves; no 
righteousness of our own; no earthly arm to savingly 
support; but secure in the divine Saviour; clothed 
with the divine righteousness; and resting upon the 
3* 



22 



PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 



divine arm. A security is thus enjoyed which in- 
spires the believer's heart with comfort and confi- 
dence throughout every change and vicissitude of life. 
This comfort is not obtained from outward circum- 
stances, but through the hidden internal avenues ex- 
isting between Christ and the believer; the mind 
and will having been brought into complete subjec- 
tion to the will of Christ. Those of us who have 
thus yielded to Christ are enabled to feel that what- 
ever betide, he doeth all things well. Confidence in 
Grod at all times is one of the truest characteristics 
of genuine piety; and a reconciliation to the divine 
providences is but the natural result of exercising 
faith in the Redeemer's name. The most striking 
difference may be at once observable as existing be- 
tween those who put their trust in Christ and those 
who do not. Thrust the unbeliever into deep afflic- 
tion, and behold how his bosom heaves with sorrow 
and anguish; but there is to him no blessed Saviour 
to flee to for refuge, and he is left alone to bear his 
burdens, because he refuses to cast his burden upon 
the Lord. The heart of either the renewed or un- 
renewed man may be rent and pained with sorrow, 
and the eyes become a fountain of tears, all of which 
may show that naturally each have the same ties of 
affection and the same capacities for suffering; but 
pause for a moment and look beyond the tearful eye 
and penetrate down into the deep recesses of the 



TTIE MATCHLESS CONDESCENSION OF CHRIST. 23 

heart, and how wide the contrast. The one, raising 
his voice against the dealings of Providence, repines 
and murmurs at the stroke which is laid upon him, 
and with a heart rising in rebellion against the hand 
of the Most High, he remains unreconciled to God 
and his dealings with him. The other, although 
possessed of the same native powers and feelings, 
bows his head in meek submission to the will of 
Christ, — and although called upon to pass through 
the most fiery ordeal, and endure the most severe 
pangs of sorrow and anguish, his heart rises not in 
rebellion against the dealings of Providence with 
him; and although called upon to bid adieu to all 
earthly prospects, he can trustingly say, a Not my 
will but thine be done." Yea, the believer is often 
enabled, by dwelling near to Christ, to say, like one 
anciently, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in 
him." 

Again, Christ is not only the security of the be- 
liever individually, but of the Church as a body. 
That security which he vouchsafed to his Church 
when he declared that it should be founded upon a 
rock, and that even the gates of hell should not 
prevail against it, still stands before us in all of 
its primitive truthfulness, and its echoes will conti- 
nue to roll on, vibrating and reverberating through- 
out the Church of Christ, until time shall be no 
longer. The true Church of Christ is thus secured. 



24 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

so that all of tlie combined forces of man, together 
with the deepest devices of the arch enemy of souls, 
can neither remove its foundations or shake its pil- 
lars. By this we are not to understand that deep 
sorrow will not often visit the Church of Christ ; but 
when called upon to pass through the deep waters ot 
affliction, the blessed Saviour is ever near, saying, 
€i My grace is sufficient for thee." The beating 
storm, the howling winds, or the sweeping floods, 
may be brought to bear against the Church in which 
the Saviour dwells, — yet all is safe, so long as a firm 
reliance is exercised in him who alike directs the 
storm and controls the wave. 

Again, afflictions are often sent upon the Church 
in order to try our faith and to enable us to see the 
more clearly that our refuge and our strength is 
alone in the Most High. Often does it happen in 
the providence of God that those upon whom the 
greatest responsibility is placed, and to whom we 
have looked for counsel and direction, are at once 
laid low, their countenances changed, and their 
places vacated. Such, my dear hearers, has of late 
been our own sad experience.* The hand of affliction 



* Reference is here had to the lamented N. W. Smith, who 
died July 22d, 1863, and who, at the time of his death, was 
pastor of this church. God, in an especial manner, blessed his 
labors with us, and his death filled all hearts with inexpressible 
sorrow. 



THE MATCHLESS CONDESCENSION OF CnRIST. 25 

has been laid heavily upon us, and we are called 
upon to lament and bewail the loss of one who was 
abundant in labors and beloved by all. As we look 
around, our hearts are filled with sorrow; and, view- 
ing things from our limited standpoint, we are led 
to exclaim with sorrow and trembling, " Why has 
God dealt thus with us ?" Yet, as we lift our eyes 
above, and by faith look to Jesus, we hear even now 
his gracious voice speaking to us in tones of sweet- 
ness, saying, " It is I ; be not afraid." Although 
sorrow encompass our hearts, and darkness be round 
about our path, faith wings its way to the Saviour's 
presence, and grace strengthens our sorrowing 
hearts ; and although we deeply mourn our loss, we 
at the same time feel constrained meekly to bow to 
the mandate of heaven. Yea, we can even now be- 
hold Christ in the storm, and with mingled joy and 
sorrow we may repeat the sad lay : 

A watchman is fallen, 

Life's labor is o'er; / 

The Master has called him 
To the Elysian Shore. 

With hearts filled with sadness, 

We would not complain, 
But look unto Jesus 

For grace to sustain. 

A watchman is fallen, 

No more to arise; 
We bow to the Master, 

Though mourn o'er the prize. 



26 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

While we are thus left for the present desolate and 
sad, let our united hearts be lifted to God ; let us be 
humble and seek continually his face, and let us pray 
that God would ere long send us another, after his 
own heart, to be over us in the Lord ; to go in and 
out before us, and break unto us the word of life. 
Thus we may find Israel's God to be our God, yea, 
even our fortress and high tower. 

Again, Christ is the comfort and security of be- 
lievers in the trying hour of death. Many of us 
have had the privilege of seeing the sustaining power 
of religion, when some dear friend has been called 
upon to bid adieu to the scenes of earth and enter 
the untried scenes of eternity. We have beheld 
the pallid cheek and sunken eye, and we have watched 
the emaciated frame trembling beneath the icy grasp 
of death. But under these deep afflictions we have 
beheld the supporting power of Jesus in a trying 
hour; and we have been enabled to realize his sup- 
porting arm as the pillow upon which rested the lan- 
guishing head. And, would we have that same 
sacred arm upon which to rest our throbbing brow, 
when we too are called upon to bid farewell to the 
things of earth ? Would we have that same Divine 
Power to support and uphold us when called upon to 
pass through the dark valley? Would ice then, we 
repeat, have that same Jesus near and calmly fall 
asleep in his arms? Then we too must give our 



THE MATCIILESS CONDESCENSION OF CHRIST. 27 

hearts to God, lead the life of the righteous, place 
our treasures in the heavens, and live the life we now 
live by exercising a living faith in the Son of God. 
We must endeavor to walk worthy of the Lord unto 
all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and 
increasing in the knowledge of God. The trying 
hour will come upon all of us soon, for the Saviour 
assures us he will come quickly. But if we are pre- 
pared to meet our change, if we have found an in- 
terest in him, whom to know is life eternal; then we 
need fear no evil, and we can lift our hearts joyfully 
to Jesus ; and grapple triumphantly with the king of 
terrors, saying, " death where is thy sting ? 
grave, where is thy victory ? " Yes, my dear hearers, 
we may even triumph gloriously in the hour of death, 
for Jesus has withdrawn the sting of death, and 
shorn the conquering grave of its boasted victory. 
Oh ! then, u how precious in the sight of the Lord 
is the death of his saints." They are called from 
earth, but it is that they may the more richly enjoy 
the Saviour's presence in brighter realms above. The 
brittle thread of life is severed in order to transport 
the believer into the blest mansions above. 

Oh ! with such a Saviour, may we not triumph 
even in the dark, trying hours of affliction; and may 
we not even exclaim in the language of the Psalmist, 
" Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of 
death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy 



28 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

rod and tliy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest 
a table before me in the presence of mine enemies : 
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth 
over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all 
the days of my life : and I will dwell in the house 
of the Lord forever." 

That this may be the happy experience of all pre- 
sent, may God grant for Christ's sake. Amen. 



DISCOURSE II. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRISTIAN EFFORT. 

"Is there not a cause?'' — 1 Samuel xvii. 27. 

At the time when the armies of Israel were mar- 
shalled to repel the invading Philistines, we behold 
the servant of God, David, then a mere youth, volun- 
tarily entering the field of conflict, prompted by holy 
desires for the welfare of Israel. The Israelites at 
that time were disheartened and dismayed because of 
the defiant mien and dreaded threats of a champion 
of the Philistines, who drew near morning and even- 
ing, bidding defiance to the Israelitish warriors, by 
calling vauntingly upon them to send forth a man 
who would dare to enter into conflict with him, de- 



THE mFORTANCE OF CHRISTIAN EFFORT. 29 

daring that if the Israelite prevail against him and 
slay him, then the Philistines wonld become servants 
of Israel; but if he, the Philistine, prevail, then 
Israel was to become subject to the Philistines. For 
forty days had this champion of Gath thus chal- 
lenged Israel to send forth a man to fight with him. 
The Israelitish camp had by this time become terror- 
stricken, and not one within their ranks could be 
found who would for a moment dare to stand before 
such an imposing foe. They were all well aware 
their antagonist was skilled in the art of warfare, and 
forgetting that the God of Israel was their refuge, 
they were perplexed and sore afraid. Before them 
stood this defiant enemy, huge in stature and skilled 
in battle, wearing a coat of mail of nearly two hun- 
dred pounds weight, and bearing in his hand a spear, 
the staff of which was like a weaver's beam, and 
the head of which weighed twenty-five pounds. 
Thus armed, his cries, as they daily reached the 
Israelitish camp ; spread terror throughout their ranks, 
and none were found to enter the field of conflict. 
"While in this sad state the army of Israel is visited 
by David, who was sent by his father for the pur- 
pose of carrying to his brethren some of the tem- 
poral comforts of life. Whilst in the camp of 
Israel, as army was arrayed against army, the giant 
of the Philistines and the terror of Israel again 
made his appearance, bidding defiance to Israel. 
4 



30 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

No sooner did the defiant boast reach the ears 
of David, than, as if impelled by a divine power, he 
desires to meet this common foe upon the field of 
conflict. His elder brother hearing him express his 
desire to fight with Goliah, severely rebukes him for 
his supposed presumption. He turns and talks with 
another, and is again answered in the former man- 
ner. At length his words were rehearsed before 
Saul; who immediately sent for him ; but no sooner 
does he express his desires to Saul, than he is again 
discouraged by Saul's answer. But this does not 
quench his desire for the preservation of Israel, and 
he now commences to plead with Saul for permission 
to engage in the deadly conflict. He makes known 
to Saul that while keeping his father's sheep he slew 
both a lion and a bear, even grasping one of those fero- 
cious beasts with his own hand, and then slaying 
him ; and he further declares that this uncircumcised 
Philistine shall also fall beneath his hand, because 
he has defied the armies of the living God. At 
length Saul was persuaded to let David meet Goliah, 
and accordingly he placed his armor upon him. But 
upon being clad with the armor of Saul, his fears 
began to arise, and he at once cast off the armor, 
and resorted to weapons with which he was familiar. 
With a staff and sling in his hand, and with five 
smooth stones taken from a neighboring brook, he 
boldly sallies forth to meet the defier of Israel. As 



THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRISTIAN EFFORT. 31 

the Philistine drew near to David, lie even treated 
him with utter contempt and disdain, saying, "Am I 
a dog, that thou comest to me with staves V And 
he cursed David by his gods. Moreover, he says to 
him, " Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto 
the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field." 
The wise answer of David was, "Thou comest to me 
with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield : 
but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, 
the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast de- 
fied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into my 
hand; and I will smite thee, and take thy head from 
thee ; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the 
Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to 
the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may 
know that there is a God in Israel. And all this 
assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with 
sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he 
will give you into our hands." He then, after having 
thus declared his trust in God, hurls the deadly mis- 
sile from his sling, and the champion of Gath falls to 
the earth. The hand of God may be most distinctly 
seen in the termination of this conflict. A mere 
youth, inexperienced in the art of war, but bearing 
the shield of faith, and wearing the breast-plate of 
righteousness, bodily meets a savage and relentless 
foe, strikes him to the earth, and thus Israel is pre- 
served. The victory was not man's but God's. With 



32 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

a heart fired with a zeal for God's glory, the young 
servant David exclaimed from the depths of his heart 
as he thought of the probable destruction of Israel, 
"Is there not a cause ?" 

As the believer now beholds the many threaten- 
ing forces arrayed against him, and the kingdom of 
Christ, may he not well be led to exclaim in the lan- 
guage of our text, "Is there not a cause?" The foes 
which we are called upon to face and repel, are not 
foes of an earthly character, as was the enemy of 
Israel ; but they are a still more deadly foe, which 
threaten even the destruction of never-dying souls; and 
would we do battle valiantly and successfully against 
these opposing forces, we must be characterized by 
a zeal and faith like unto that of God's servant Da- 
vid. The great battle-field upon which is to be found 
the deadliest of enemies, is within the human breast, 
for there the enemy of souls delights to enter and 
seeks to drag the Christian from the Saviour, and 
make the heart a servant of sin. But over all of 
these opposing powers we may triumph through 
Christ, for in him alone is our help. 

We shall now speak in the first place upon the na- 
ture of the conflict in which we are called upon to 
engage. And, secondly, the necessity of individual 
exertion in the kingdom of Christ. And in the third 
place, we shall make a few remarks by way of a prac- 
tical application. 



THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRISTIAN EFFORT. 33 

First, then, the nature of the Christian conflict. 
The opposing forces which are brought to bear against 
the Christian, are of a two fold character — internal 
and external. The former is in consequence of the 
depravity of the human heart; the latter is in conse- 
quence of coming in contact with outward induce- 
ments and allurements to sin. This being the 
condition of the believer, he would be utterly inca- 
pable of standing in the path of holiness were it not 
for the support of one who was tempted and tried in 
all points like as we are, yet without sin; and who, 
therefore, knowing our frailty, is able to help us. 
Although there is such a proneness to sin, still the 
great actuating motives of life are so changed as to 
be going out after holiness, so that sin, instead of 
being the universal, becomes the exceptional. The 
proclamation of pardon, which cost infinitely more 
than man can conceive, has been passed upon us, 
through faith in Jesus. The king upon his throne, 
and. the humble peasant who put their trust in Christ, 
now stand upon a like basis, needing the same grace 
to sustain, and the same arm to uphold. A poor 
Lazarus laid at the rich man's gate, and the million- 
aire of this world, alike need the same help from 
above, and are a like directed to the land beyond the 
skies for their chiefest joy. The gospel comes to all, 
giving the same warning against sin, holding forth 

the same reward for obedience, and pointing to the 
4* 



34 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

same rest above. It comes to those who have their 
mines of wealth, and makes known to them the tran- 
sitory nature of all things below, charging such to 
be rich in good works, and assuring them that a 
man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the 
things which he possesseth. Thus around every 
temptation and allurement there is a warning. 

In every effort heavenward, and over every triumph 
over sin, there is a new avenue opened up between 
Christ and the soul, so that new beauties are seen 
in the divine way. Encouragements to fight valiantly 
against sin, and strive daily after greater holiness, 
are everywhere given by the Saviour. And by way 
of encouragement, the Christian is assured that he 
shall not be vanquished by any opposing forces, for 
he is assured that he will come off more than con- 
queror. True, the different conditions of the human 
race may be very dissimilar, but the nature of the 
conflict with sin is the same, the grace needed is the 
same, and the rest to be secured is the same. Also 
the inducements held forth in the gospel to enter the 
ranks of Immanuel are the same, whether the child, 
the youth, the middle aged, or the aged be addressed, 
or whether it be those dwelling in far-off heathen 
lands. The same victory is to be won, and the same 
rest to be attained. To the child the gospel comes 
pleading for the heart to be thus early given to 
Christ, while the contaminating influences of the 



THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRISTIAN EFFORT oO 

world have not so deeply poisoned the soul, and though 
assured that there is constant necessity for watchful- 
ness, the Saviour himself gives the assurauce of 
constant aid. and at last a crown of life. To those 
who are in the vigor of youth the gospel comes, ask- 
ing that the strength of their days be devoted to 
Christ, and pointing to a never ending rest above as 
a reward at last. 

It comes to the aged and lifts up before them a 
glorious rest above, and pointing beyond the bounds 
of time, the thoughts are directed to that blest land 
where there is no marks of age and decay, where the 
finger of time can never furrow the cheek, where the 
eye will never become dim with age, and where 
naught shall mar an eternity of celestial happiness. 
But further, there is, to particularize, oftentimes the 
greatest necessity for watchfulness, lest the heart 
become proud and self-righteous. Man by nature is 
at enmity against an imputed righteousness. It is 
contrary to all of the natural inclinations of the hu- 
man heart. Although there is within the unre- 
newed heart oftentimes a strong sense of guilt, still 
there is an uprising against an imputed righteous- 
ness, and he vainly desires to personally merit that 
which can only be received as a gift. Even in the 
days of the Apostles, this fact may be most clearly- 
seen, for the Apostle Paul, in speaking of his own 
brethren the Jews, bears them record that they 



36 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 
And he declares them to be ignorant of God's right- 
eousness, and going about to establish their own 
righteousness , and he farther makes known to them 
the righteousness which is of the law, and also the 
righteousness which is by faith. Of the former, he 
says the man which doeth those things shall live by 
them. That is, if we look to the law for justifica- 
tion instead of looking to Christ, we shall be judged 
by the law; and how clearly are we shown that by 
the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified, inas- 
much as all have sinned. But the righteousness 
which is by faith, speaketh on this wise : " Say not 
in thy heart who shall ascend into heaven, that is, to 
bring Christ down from above; or who shall descend 
into the deep, that is to bring up Christ again from 
the dead. But what saith it? The word is nigh 
thee ; even in thy heart and in thy mouth, that is 
the word of faith, which- we preach. That if thou 
shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, andshalt 
believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from 
the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart 
man belie veth unto righteousness, and with the mouth 
confession is made unto salvation." Here then we 
have a full and clear delineation of the manner in 
which man is justified before God. The righteous- 
ness of which we are speaking is imputed to us 
through faith. 



THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRISTIAN EFFORT. 37 

In the first place we are clearly shown that all 
mankind are by nature lost. No distinction is made 
either to caste or condition, but clearly and unquali- 
fiedly all are represented as being condemned by the 
law, and that there is not upon the earth one that 
doeth good and sinneth not. Having seen our true 
situation by nature, we are then directed for justifi- 
cation to the peace-speaking blood of Jesus. As we 
before said the unrenewed heart naturally rises up 
in rebellion against the gospel mode of justification. 
As man lost his first estate by a personal act of diso- 
bedience, so he, by personal acts which are merito- 
rious, naturally desires to regain the favor of God. 
Had it been possible to have thus regained the favor 
of God, man would have been thus justified; for, 
says the Apostle, if there had been a law given 
which could have given life, verily, righteousness 
would have been by the law. But ah! this could 
not be. No perfection can be attained by erring 
man. The chasm into which he has fallen is so 
deep, that none, independent of Christ, can ever scale 
its massive walls and escape. The current into 
which he has sailed is so rapid, that none can ply 
the oar and reach the shore. The terrific maelstrom 
into which man has gone, is of such fearful power as 
to even preclude all possibility of escape. But while 
justice is placed to the line, and judgment to the 
plummet, a gleam of light is seen in the distance. 



38 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

"A beam of light that shines for me, 
To save me from despair." 

The gospel, the glorious gospel, comes within our 
reach, and casts a hallowed light around each way- 
worn traveller. We open its precious lids, and pe- 
ruse its sacred pages. God's Holy Spirit descends 
from above, and rests down upon the heart. A sense 
of guilt, mingled with feelings of hope and need, 
pervades the heart, and a safe and sure refuge is 
sought in him who alone is " Mighty to save." Thus 
the hard and strong heart is softened and changed, 
and becomes a habitation of God through the Spirit. 
But, as we said in the first place under this head, 
there is much need of the believer exercising a care- 
ful watchfulness over himself, lest instead of doing 
good and leading a holy life through love and obe- 
dience to Christ, we begin to trust in our good deeds, 
and so frustrate our growth in grace and derange our 
relationship to Christ. Again, by way of encourage- 
ment to those who enter the field of conflict, they 
are assured that, although many be their trials, they 
shall at last come off conquerors and receive a crown 
of life; and that the forces of Immanuel will con- 
tinue to increase until the earth shall be full of the 
knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. 
Yes, although at first the saving light of the gospel 
only reached the scattered few, yet like the shrill 
blast of the archangel's trump, the notes of salvation 



THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRISTIAN EFFORT. 3d 

are designed to roll and swell from mountain to 
mountain, and from sea to sea, until its vibrations 
shall be felt throughout the whole earth. Its move- 
ment is onward, its destiny is triumph. Although 
infuriated persecutors have attempted to smother up 
and quench this heavenly flame, their attempts have 
all proved that they were fighting against God. A 
few, comparatively, were believers in the days of 
Christ, yet even noic nearly incomprehensible is the 
number who are to-day trusting in Christ, although 
when compared with the present entire aggregate of 
the human race, but a small fractional portion are 
yet personally interested in Christ. We shall, there- 
fore, in the second place, consider the necessity of 
individual exertion in the cause of Christ. 

As we take a survey of the present population of 
the human race, we find it estimated at about one 
billion. Vast and incomprehensible as is- this num- 
ber, it would be far over the general estimate to sup- 
pose that one fifteenth portion were true believers in 
Christ, and yet we believe that the whole world is to 
become acquainted with the way of salvation, '/and 
the kingdoms of this world are to become the king- 
doms of our Lord and of his Christ." The field is the 
world, and for the period of more than eighteen 
hundred and fifty years have the servants of Christ 
proclaimed the glad tidings of the gospel, yet the 
vast majority of the human race are now in utter 



40 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

darkness concerning the way of salvation. About 
half of the population of the entire globe are Pagans; 
and the many millions of Mohammedans and others 
in almost entire darkness as to the true way of sal- 
vation, diminish the Christian world to a compara- 
tively small fraction. This picture, although un- 
speakably sad ; is nevertheless a picture which boldly 
stares the Christian world in the face. Oh! to 
think of so many never-dying souls hurrying quickly 
on to the judgment seat of Christ without any know- 
ledge of the Saviour, is enough to excite the Chris- 
tian heart to earnest labor and untiring zeal. 

While we thus view the dark regions beyond the 
reach of the gospel light, may we not anxiously ex- 
claim in the language of our text, u Is there not a 
cause ?" Truly, "darkness still covers the face of the 
earth and gross darkness the people. " On these be- 
nighted idolaters the light of the glorious gospel has 
never cast its hallowed rays. Upon these darkened 
shores the banner of the cross has scarce been un- 
furled, nor the everlasting gospel been proclaimed. 
There the inhabitants, instead of sitting beneath the 
noon-day blaze of the gospel, are left to bow down 
to the works of their own hands, which can neither 
see nor understand. Upon the Asiatic shores may 
still be seen the deluded widow burning upon the 
funeral pile with her lifeless husband, the fond Hin- 
doo mother bringing her infant child to the bank of 



THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRISTIAN EFFORT. 41 

the Ganges and plunging it into its sacred waters to 
rise no more, and the blind devotee voluntarily fall- 
ing before the rolling car of Juggernaut, to be crushed 
beneath its ponderous wheels. Oh ! who can thus 
behold these darkened souls and not be moved with 
deep feelings for the advancement of Messiah's king- 
dom ! Our feelings should be at once aroused in 
view of these things, and with much prayer and 
fidelity should we labor to extend the knowledge of 
our God and king. As Christ's people are the in- 
struments whom God has seen fit to use to spread 
the knowledge of the truth throughout the earth, a 
fearful responsibility is placed upon each person for 
the manner in which he uses the talent intrusted to 
his care. A field vast and extensive lies open before 
us, and by living up to our distinguished privilege 
the cause of Zion will be extended and established. 
But further ; we shall now consider some of the 
duties which present themselves before the Church 
of Christ even within the immediate circle of her 
influence. Within the so-called Christianized world 
by far the greater portion of the inhabitants have no 
personal hope in Christ. From a careful examina- 
tion by Bev. Harvey Newcomb we learn that even 
in our own State nearly one-third of the entire pop- 
ulation are not even habitual attendants upon evan- 
gelical worship, and that the average attendance 
will not much exceed one-fifth part of the whole 



42 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

population. Says Rev. J. F. Stone in speaking 
upon this sad fact, "It ought to move the friends of 
Christ to vigorous effort and earnest prayer." From 
a computation made upon the whole country East 
and West we are informed that not more than one- 
sixth of the whole population can truly be styled 
followers of Christ which number might still be di- 
minished could we be privileged to read the heart. 
As we thus view the sad state of our own land, may 
not the words of the text come to us with a peculiar 
significance, " Is there not a cause." All around the 
Churches of Christ are those who have no saving 
faith in the Redeemer of Israel. Yes, even in our 
midst, and perhaps in our own family circle may be 
found those who never lisp a prayer to God, who 
never bow before him and make known to him their 
wants ) but who live in habitual neglect of Christ's 
commands, who turn a deaf ear to his admonitions 
and warnings, who heed not his threats neither re- 
gard his entreaties, who live daily upon G-od's boun- 
ty and never praise and thank the giver, and who 
desire not a knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. 
"Why ? Oh, why then we ask should the Church of 
Christ slumber ? Souls are perishing in our very 
midst and why should we be slothful ? Is not the 
Master willing to hear the cries of his people ? Is 
the arm of the Lord shortened that it cannot save ? 
Are not the fields white alreadv for the harvest ? 



THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRISTIAN EFFORT. 43 

Behold and see the work which is waiting us ! Has 
God refused to avenge his own elect if they cry unto 
him daily ? Nay, verily. His promises are all yea 
and amen in Christ Jesus. The arm of Jehovah is 
to-day laid bare in behalf of his people and he is 
even uow waiting to be gracious. Then let our cry be 
•• Awake, north wind; and come thou south; blow 
upon our garden that the spices thereof may flow 
out." Yea, let our united cry be, " Oh ! that thou 
wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come 
down j that the mountains might flow down at thy 
presence." What is needed at the present time is 
faith and prayer, mingled with a more entire conse- 
cration. "All things are possible to him that be- 
lieveth." That is, all things which pertain to the 
believer's own personal duties. Are we perplexed, 
and do we ask how we may be the most useful in the 
cause of Christ ? Then let us yield ourselves to him 
asking wisdom from on high, trusting in the promise 
that he will give to him that asketk liberally and 
upbraid not. 

But further, let us consider still more particular- 
ly the solemn fact that many of us, perhaps all of us, 
have near friends and relatives which are out of the 
ark of safety. This is a subject of a most solemn 
and weighty character. Entire households are in 
very many instances not consecrated to Christ. Our 
friends are, perhaps, all that we could wish them to 



44 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

be in every other respect, but, alas ! like the rich 
ruler who came to Christ, there is one thing lack- 
ing. Perhaps in nearly every such instance earnest 
prayer has been and is still being offered that God 
would incline them to trust in Christ. But have we 
done all for them we could do ? Have we reasoned 
with them of righteousness, temperance and a judg- 
ment to come ? If we have put forth our every ef- 
fort to lead them to the Saviour, and if our reliance 
is wholly upon the promises of God, then may we 
look sooner or later for them to become lovers of the 
Saviour. But do you say, "I feel that I offer the 
prayer of faith and yet I see no immediate answer ;" 
neither did Elijah when he commenced to pray upon 
Mount Carmel, but his faith was not shaken never- 
theless, and in due time there appeared the little 
cloud which foretold an approaching storm. The im- 
portunate widow was not apparently heeded at first, 
but by her strong faith and continued supplication 
her request was at last granted. Even so will God 
also avenge his own elect. 

Delays are by no means denials, and it may be 
that the prayer of faith may not be answered until 
the lips which offered it shall have been long years 
silent in the grave. That prayer has been preserved 
in eternity as a delightsome odor, and the individual 
for whom it was offered maybe brought to the Saviour 
in answer. 



THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRISTIAN EFFORT. 4f) 

Often, do we believe it to be the case, that the dy- 
ing believer's prayer is answered long years after the 
dust has returned to its kindred dust. Often do we 
believe that the dying mother's prayer in behalf of 
her precious household, is answered in long years 
to come. As one by one is brought to Christ, they 
may not know the reason, but in heaven there are 
golden vials which contain those earnest prayers, 
and our living Intercessor dwells at the right hand 
of the Most High, there to plead the efficacy of his 
own blood, which avails for us. 

How vast and important then, dear friends, is the 
work of the Christian. Our friends to be brought 
to Christ, our own land more fully evangelized, and 
the glorious gospel to be disseminated throughout 
every clime. The Macedonian cry arises upon either 
hand ; and the cords and stakes of Zion are to be 
lengthened and strengthened. But, while this is to 
be effected through human means, it is not accom- 
plished hy human power. '-Not by might nor by 
power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord. Paul may 
plant, and Apollos water ; but it is God alone that 
giveth the increase." 

But we will still more closely, if possible, consider 
the duty of individual exertion in the cause of 
Christ. 

In order to the more effectually insure success to 
our labors, our Saviour has seen fit to institute a 
5* 



46 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

church whereby we may the more successfully labor 
for the mutual upbuilding of the Redeemer's king- 
dom. The cause of Christ is designed to be alike 
precious to all, and by a church organization concert 
of action is secured, and an opportunity afforded for 
harmony and unanimity of action. The building 
being thus fitly framed together, every person occu- 
pies an important sphere of usefulness. 

Here, in the midst of his people, the Saviour de- 
lights to dwell. John, the revelator in the Apoca- 
lypse, saw in the midst of the seven golden candle- 
sticks, which were the seven churches of Asia, one 
like unto the Son of man, whose eyes were as a flame 
of fire, and whose voice was as the sound of many 
waters, bearing in his hand the seven stars, which 
were the angels of the seven churches. 

Beautiful picture, in which to portray the near- 
ness of the Saviour to his church and people ! Oft 
would we imagine, when faith is upon the wane, that 
the Saviour is far distant. Oft do the people of God 
fail to realize that the great Captain of our salvation 
is ever near by his Spirit and his grace to lead his 
people on to conquest and victory. Oft do we fail 
to realize that the ruler of the world has constantly 
an anxious and careful eye upon even the feeblest of 
his followers. 

But, while the Saviour is thus near, let us listen 
to his solemn warning and admonition. "Be watch- 



THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRISTIAN EFFORT. 47 

ful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are 
ready to die." 0, what a solemn admonition is here 
given to the church at Sardis ! and no less solemn 
warning is it to us to-day, than to the church of 
Asia. "Be watchful,'' says Christ to us, "and 
strengthen the things which remain, that are ready 
to die. Remember, therefore, how thou hast re- 
ceived and heard, and hold fast and repent. If, 
therefore, thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee 
as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will 
come upon thee." Yes, my dear hearers, if we are 
not watchful, our Saviour will look upon our luke- 
warmness, the angel of the covenant will spread his 
soft wings and fly sorrowful away, and our candle- 
stick be removed out of his place. The encamping 
armies will overrun the armies of Israel, and defeat 
and sorrow will take hold upon us. Truly, then, (i Is 
there not a cause?" 

We are not engaged in a cause which is to be de- 
fended by carnal weapons, as was Israel, but we are 
engaged in a cause which is to be defended by wea- 
pons which are spiritual in their nature, and mighty 
through God, to the pulling down of the strongholds 
of sins. 

TTe are apt, in a measure at least, to forget at 
times that our strength is wholly from above, and we 
are too often like the Israelitish army when threat- 
ened by the uncircumcised Philistines. Fear often 



48 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

takes hold on us when we are in the greatest need of 
individual activity and watchfulness. We often 
tremble before the enemy when we should fight 
valiantly for the name of our God and King. We 
often falter and grow weary when we should, with a 
nerved arm, hurl the broad battle-axe into the very 
heart of the enemy. 

Two things are necessary in order to insure suc- 
cess to the believer, viz.: faith and Christian valor : 
the former to sustain us, the latter to enable us to 
stand firmly by the truth. Thus armed, the church 
of Christ may at all times break the ranks of the 
enemy even more effectually than did Hannibal, the 
Carthaginian general, when hedged in by the Eoman 
army. 

Briefly, to close : a few remarks by way of a prac- 
tical application. As we take a retrospective glance 
at the foregoing remarks, we may be enabled to see 
in some degree the greatness of the Christian's labor 
and the solemn obligations which are resting upon 
every disciple, to endeavor to advance the Saviour's 
cause. 

Christ has given to every disciple a field of labor and 
usefulness, with the important command resting upon 
him, "Occupy till I conie." He has committed to 
his followers the glorious work of spreading the glad 
news of salvation, by proclaiming to a dying world 
the glorious plan of redemption. 



THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRISTIAN EFFORT. 40 

While thus engaged he has left his people the 
gracious promise that he will assist theni by his Spi- 
rit and his grace, and that he will never leave nor 
forsake them. Yea, he further declares, that he that 
reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto 
life eternal. This, then, is the great mission of the 
church of Christ, to seek to be instrumental in pluck- 
ing sinners as brands from the burning. To persuade 
men to be reconciled to God. Will we, then, be 
faithful to our trust? Oh ! how important the field ! 
How precious the work of gathering fruit unto life 
eternal! With a deep sense of the great responsi- 
bility which is resting upon us, with what earnest- 
ness should we labor to point sinners to Christ! Let 
us, then, 

"Point to his redeeming blood, 

And say, Behold the way to God!" 

Oh! may our hearts be deeply stirred this day for 
the welfare of Zion, and may our united praises 
ascend in one united symphonious strain as we be- 
hold the riches of God's grace as displayed in the 
gift of his Son for the salvation of sinners. 

"When I survey the wondrous cross 
On which the Prince of Glory died, 
My richest gain I count but loss, 
And pour contempt on all my pride. 

u Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, 
Save in the death of Christ, my God; 



50 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

All the vain things which charm me most, 
I sacrifice them to thy blood. 

" See, from his head, his hands, his feet, 
Sorrow and love flow mingled down; 
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, 
Or thorns compose so rich a crown? 

" Were all the realm of nature mine, 
That were a present far too small; 
Love so amazing, so divine, 
Demands my soul, my life, my all" 



DISCOURSE III. 

Christ's vicarious death. 

" He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for 
our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon 
him; and with his stripes we are healed." — Isaiah liii. 5. 

The prophet Isaiah was enabled to look down 
through the vista of coming ages with a more ex- 
tended vision than were many who prophesied of the 
Redeemer's kingdom; and he seems almost at times 
to even step over into the gospel dispensation, and 
proclaim the glad tidings of a crucified and risen 
Saviour. Indeed, so much did he foretell concerning 
the promised Messiah, and so frequently are his 



Christ's vicarious death. 51 

writings referred to in the New Testament, that he 
is sometimes styled the Evangelical prophet. 

In the chapter immediately preceding the one con- 
taining our text, the prophet breaks forth in joyful 
strains, announcing the glad news of the personal 
appearance of the Bedeeiner, and the establishment 
of his kingdom upon the earth. But, no sooner does 
he see the exalted Saviour personally erect his king- 
dom upon the earth, than he is permitted to look 
still further- and, as if with the natural vision, he is 
permitted to behold the deep suffering connected 
with the Saviour's mission, and the deep trials 
through which he must pass. 

Xot only does the prophet thus view the suffering 
Saviour, but with a keen perception he glances at 
the cause of these indescribable sufferings: and no 
sooner does he obtain a view of the cause of the Sa- 
viour's agony, than he breaks forth in the words of 
the text: " He was wounded for our transgressions, 
he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement 
of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we 
are healed." A dark cloud now rests upon the pro- 
phet; and instead of the joyous words which came 
forth from his heart as he beheld Zion putting on 
her beautiful garments, and her strength, he now 
descends into the deep valley of sorrow, and with 
plaintive voice we hear him describing the cause of 
the suffering which he beholds the Saviour endurine. 



52 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY 

Ah. ! what wonder that the prophet's voice is hushed 
into strains of sadness as he beholds the sinner's 
guilt and the Saviour's sorrow ! Like the dark cloud 
which obscures the light from above, so a cloud now 
rests over the inspired penman; and although the 
cloud is ere long removed, as he sees the glorious ends 
resulting from the pangs of suffering and sorrow en- 
dured by the Saviour, still, beneath that cloud, where 
hangs the bleeding sacrifice, would we now desire to 
lead you, in order that we may have a clearer under- 
standing of our sinfulness in the sight of Grod ; and 
of the great sacrifice which has been given for us. 
Fain would we rend the veil around our hearts while 
we contemplate this subject, and seek to understand 
why darkness covers the earth for a season; why the 
deep thunders roll, and the rocks are rent asunder; 
why the veil of the temple is rent in twain, and ivhy 
Jesus dies. 

Therefore our first point will be: The love of 
Christ to sinners. 

2. The vicarious sacrifice which he offered. 

3. The result of, or reconcilation made by Christ's 
suffering. 

First, then, we shall discourse for a short time 
upon the love of Christ to sinners. 

This theme, although one which is constantly set 
forth in the sacred word, is as far beyond the com- 
prehension of the human mind as infinitude is beyond 



Christ's vicarious death. 53 

that which is infinite. We can no more fathom it 
than we can fathom eternity. As well might we at- 
tempt to understand the entire works of creation, as 
to think to comprehend Christ's love. True, man is 
capable of measuring or understanding, to a certain 
degree, Christ's wonderful love to sinners; yet the ex- 
tent of that love, in its length and breadth, heighth 
and depth, who can measure? Man can measure 
the distance from one point to another upon the orb 
on which we live, even though it be across the lofty 
mountain, the wide-spread plain, the dense forest and 
the trackless ocean; or he can tell us the height of 
the mountain peak, which is seemingly lost in the 
heavens. Nay, more, so completely is science per- 
fected, that the astronomers can tell us the distance 
from the earth to the starry orbs which dot the ca- 
nopy of heaven, and so great do they tell us the d s- 
tance in some cases is, that we find ourselves utterly 
lost. Astronomers farther tell us the distance of one 
star from another, the distance of stars from the pla- 
nets, and the planets from the sun; whilst away, far 
as the most gigantic telescope can reach, appear in- 
creasing numbers of worlds; and here science fails 
us ; and we are left to conjecture by flying upon the 
wings of our imagination, only to find ourselves lost 
in the great depths of immensity. We may task our- 
selves to the utmost in endeavoring to comprehend 
6 



54 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

the vastness of the universal empire, but we find our- 
selves drifting in the midst of an endless ocean, and 
we are exhausted in the attempt. 

Fit type in which to represent to you, my hearers, 
the immeasurable depth of the love of Christ. We 
here and there catch glimpses of the Saviour's love 
which we can in a measure understand, whilst there 
are other manifestations of his love more incompre- 
hensible to us than the immeasurable distance from 
this world of the most distant of the heavenly worlds. 
Christ's love to his earthly parents, and his wonderful 
care for the future wants of his mother, even in his 
last moments, when suspended upon the cross, proves 
to us the strength of those earthly ties of relationship; 
but oh ! how soon are we lost in contemplating his 
love for sinners! We endeavor to understand it, but 
its vastness far surpasses all human knowledge, and 
we wander until our minds are tasked to their utmost, 
only to turn either way and find the same increasing 
depths. As the finite can never comprehend the In- 
finite, neither can we fully understand the depths of 
the riches of that love which is treasured for us in 
Christ Jesus. We may task our capacities to their 
utmost, but there will ever remain the same infini- 
tude of distance. Had we the privilege of viewing 
the death of one who had lain down his life for his 
friends, we might possibly, to quite an extent, com- 
prehend the depth of that love which prompted this 



CHRIST S VICARIOUS DEATH. ^5 

voluntary sacrifice. "We might say the persons for 

whom he suffered were highly esteemed ; they were 
the choicest friends, and possessed the most praise- 
worthy elements of character; and although the 
sacrifice offered shows the greatest attachment, still 
the personal merit of those friends would afford to us 
special reasons why the offered life should be given. 
Says the Apostle Paul, " Peradventure for a good 
man some would even dare to die." This idea, al- 
though comparatively plain to the inspired penman, 
is nevertheless spoken of as being an expression of no 
ordinary degree of love. 

Again, were a person to suffer martyrdom, we 
should be able, in part at least, to comprehend the 
strength of that love which caused him to yield him- 
self a willing sacrifice. We should look at the im- 
portance of the cause which he was defending, and 
we should admire the attachment of him who would 
rather die than renounce it, and he would receive 
from us the highest encomium. We should admire 
such noble traits of character, and we should feel that 
such a public exemplification of love for the truth was 
in the highest degree commendatory. The history of 
the Church affords innumerable instances of the ar- 
dency of the true believer's love for Christ, when put 
to the test. A love for the truth as it is in Jesus has, 
in countless instances, been the means of leading the 
poor sufferer to the burning stake. The blood-stained 



56 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

pages of the Church's history tell us plainly how dear 
to the believer has been the precious Saviour. No 
threats of punishment nor pangs of cruel torture 
could sever the strong cord of love which bound the 
believer to his Saviour. Still we are enabled to, in 
part at least, comprehend this love, for it emanates 
from a heart which has been freed from the bondage 
and dominion of sin, through the cleansing efficacy of 
the Saviour's blood, and the maintenance of the love 
of Christ within the heart, as well as the eternal in- 
terest of the never-dying soul, demand an unswerv- 
ing allegiance to Christ's holy cause. 

Again, our love to Christ is only reciprocal in its 
nature. We love him, says the sacred writer John, 
because he first loved us. The love which the be- 
liever bears to Christ, is not because of any inherent 
affection for the Saviour and the things which be- 
long to holiness; the first cause lies not in the human 
breast, but emanates from the Divine Saviour; and 
why we love him is because his Spirit inclines us to 
see a beauty in him that we should desire him. But 
farther, there are the highest reasons, why our hearts 
should be filled with the deepest gratitude towards 
him, for no earthly friend could ever confer upon us 
so many inexpressibly valuable blessings. He has 
borne our sins in his own body upon the tree, and 
thereby freed us from the bondage of sin and death. 
He continually watches over and careth for his peo- 



CHRIST'S VICARIOUS DEATII. 57 

pie, even as a shepherd watcheth over and careth for 
his sheep. Yea, he supplieth our every want, and 
leadeth us by the side of the still waters, and in the 
green pastures. 

But when we for a moment turn and contemplate 
the boundless and unspeakable love of Christ for 
sinners, for those who are his open and professed 
enemies, how soon are we overwhelmed ! Nothing in 
man to elicit one kind look; nothing in us to draw 
one thought of mercy from above; and yet Jesus 
loves us. Yea, he not only loves us, but he lays 
down his own most precious life for ours ; — being 
wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our 
iniquities. "Who can portray such boundless love? 
What mortal tongue make known its unfathomable 
depths ? 

" Neither Angel nor Archangel can e'er make known 
Such wondrous love to dying man ; 
While they behold the Saviour seated on his throne, 
They exclaim, His wisdom drew the plan I" 

As the sun is the great centre from which light ema- 
nates, so Christ is the great centre of light to our 
moral horizon. Remove Christ, and it would be like 
blotting the sun from the heavens above us. 

But further, we will contemplate more particularly 

the manner in which Christ manifested his love to us 

in his last agonies. His whole life affords a most 

wonderful display of love; but we have only time to 

6* 



58 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

notice briefly, and particularly, those scenes which 
transpired upon Mount Calvary. Here would we 
linger, and amidst the scenes which present them- 
selves, meditate upon the love of the suffering Sa- 
viour. We behold him suspended upon the cross, 
enduring the most excruciating agony, allowing his 
enemies to drive the sharpened nails into his hands 
and feet, and at last meekly bowing his head, and 
saying — "It is finished." What, dear hearers, is 
finished ? The rocks are rent, the earth quakes, and 
the veil of the temple is rent from the top to the 
bottom, — what is finished? Christ's sufferings are 
finished; but is this all? Ah! no. There is yet 
another thought connected with the dying words of 
Jesus. Our redemption is finished; our ransom is 
paid; for with his stripes we are healed. The tide 
of suffering which flawed in upon him while sus- 
pended upon yonder cross, was the sufferings due us, 
of which we shall speak at greater length hereafter. 
Beneath the overhanging cloud upon Calvary arise 
plaintive notes of sorrow; but, lo! he who hangs sus- 
pended on yonder cross is the sinner's Friend. 

"Hark! from yonder mount arise 

Notes of sadness, Jesus dies; 

On the cross the Lord of lords, 

Love for guilty man records : 

Sinner, sinner, hear your Saviour's dying words.'' 

2. We shall now speak of the vicarious death which 
Christ offered. 



Christ's vicarious death. 59 

The death of Christ, and the sacrifice or atone- 
ment thns made, was wholly substitutionary in its 
character. The divine government must be main- 
tained, and sin could not be allowed to go unpunished. 
Man had broken the holy law under which he was 
created, and invincible justice demanded satisfac- 
tion. Arrayed before the court of Heaven stands 
the sinner, when Christ offers to meet the demands of 
justice, by dying in the stead of his people. . His 
love, as we have before considered, was wholly un- 
merited by us, and arose, as it were, spontaneous in 
his own breast. Having obeyed the law perfectly, 
in its very letter and spirit, and having shed his blood 
for his covenanted people, they became, through faith 
in his name, partakers of the heavenly inheritance. 
AVe see, then, that by his obedience, we are made 
righteous, and by his blood we are justified. In the 
former, Jesus magnifies the law, and makes it ho- 
norable; and in the latter, a satisfactory expiation is 
made, so that through faith in, and obedience to him, 
we obtain forgiveness, and receive his righteousness. 
Hence, the apostle Paul exclaims : " There is, there- 
fore, now no condemnation to them which are in Christ 
Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the 
Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ 
Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin and 
death. For what the law could not do, in that it 
was weak through the flesh, God sending his own 



60 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, con- 
demned sin in the flesh. That the righteousness of 
the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after 
the flesh, but after the Spirit." Thus did Christ die 
for us, that he might free us from the fearful conse- 
quences of sin, and bring us again into favor with 
God. The great sacrifice he offered was every way 
satisfactory to the Father, and his justice could be 
maintained; whilst sinners could be saved, for upon 
him (the Saviour) was laid the iniquities of us all. 
Our debt of penalty has, therefore, been fully paid. 
Our debt of penalty, we say, but not our debt of 
duty. This latter point, you will at once perceive, 
strikes back upon the moral law as our rule of con- 
duct. It has been vainly argued by some, that 
through the death of Christ we are released from the 
claims of the law, not only as respects the penalty 
due on account of transgression, but as a rule of con- 
duct. As to the former point, we readily concede; 
but as to the latter, we feel to dissent, if by -''rule of 
conduct," we are to understand our duty to love God 
with our whole heart, and our neighbor as ourself. 
Although it is true that in all things we do sin and 
come short, — which fact shows our constant need of 
the intercessions of Christ, — still, were the high moral 
standard by which the heart and life are to be guided 
removed, our entire moral standard would be swept 
away, and there would be no effective means of guiding 



Christ's vicarious death. 61 

the moral faculties. Our duty to love the Lord with 
our whole heart, is as binding upon us to-day as when 
the w T ords were repeated by the Saviour. This duty 
has never been, and never will be abrogated ; and it 
is our failure to comply with the requirements of this 
law, which places us under the constant need of the 
intercessory labors of Christ. Thus, Christ having 
the righteousness which is by the law, has whereof 
to bestow upon those who live by faith upon him, 
and he thus becomes the end of the law for righteous- 
ness to every one that believeth. 

Again, by the sufferings of Christ the identical 
penalty for our actual transgressions has been paid. 
Identical, we say, for whether we consider the Sa- 
viour to have suffered upon the cross, the actual suf- 
fering which we would have endured had we been 
punished eternally, or whether we view it in another 
light, the end is the same to us, and the punishment 
due our actual transgression fully paid. Christ, 
then, hath borne our sins in his own body upon the tree. 
Yes, believers in Jesus, those sins which you have 
so often committed, and over which you have so often 
mourned as you thought of your aggravated guilt in 
the sight of God, were all of them borne by the Sa- 
viour upon the cross of Calvary. Every sinful act 
which you have committed, every sinful thought 
which has ever crossed your mind, was voluntarily 
met by the Saviour upon Calvary's rugged brow. 



62 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

Oh ! let us not think then that sin is any thing of a 
trivial nature ! Think you the wondering angels 
viewed it thus when Jesus was expiring ? Think 
you the Saviour viewed it in this light while en- 
during the hidings of G-od's countenance, and re- 
ceiving for us the fearful arrows of justice? Even 
in view of these sufferings, he sweat as it were great 
drops of blood; yet he ■ * ; nks not, and, bearing his 
own bosom to the arrows of justice, he receives them 
in our stead, being wounded for our transgressions, 
and braised for our iniquities. 

"Alas ! and did my Saviour bleed? 
And did my Sovereign die ? 
Would he devote that sacred head, 
For such a worm as I? 

"Was it for crimes that I have done, 

He died upon the tree? 
Amazing pity, grace unknown ! 

And love beyond degree !" 

Christ, by his death, unlocked every cell of sin 
within the human heart, and drank for his people 
the bitter cup of justice even to the very dregs, and 
by this means he broke the binding chains of sin ; 
proclaiming deliverance to the captives, and letting 
the oppressed go free. He saw us ruined in the fall 
and exposed to eternal woe, but— amazing thought ! 
he bade adieu for a season to the joys of heaven, and 
came to our relief. He saw us in the deep gulf of 



Christ's vicarious death. 63 

despair, with no hope, and without God; and being 
moved with pity and compassion, he came to the 
yawning gulf, looked longingly over its brink, and, 
beholding the deep lake of fire beneath our feet, he 
receives in his own side the sword of justice, and 
rescues us from the burning crates of woe. Oh ! 
dear hearers, behold your Saviour, even leaping over 
the yawning precipice, and clasping the sinner to his 
bosom, that he may save him from the devouring 
flame ! TTell may angel tongues falter in their 
sweet strains of heavenly music, as they behold the 
great atoning sacrifice offered for our redemption. 
Redemption^ how precious is this word to the be- 
liever! No erring mortal could ever purchase it 
for himself — much less for others, for we are entirely 
destitute of all original holiness. Xeither angel nor 
archangel could redeem us, should they weep tears of 
sorrow throughout the countless ages of eternity. 
But Jesus has accomplished it, by taking upon him- 
self our human nature, obeying the law perfectly, 
and dying in our stead. Although the image of ho- 
liness has been lost by our sinfulness, the connecting 
link is again even restored through the mediation of 
Jesus, who. clasping the sinner with the one hand, 
and with the other firmly clasping the hand of the 
Father, thus forms the connecting link between earth 
and heaven. 



64 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

He, by his own hand, lifts us out of the horrible 
pit and miry clay, and places our feet upon the sure 
Rock of Ages. The simple and plain terms by which 
we may all become the recipients of his favor, and 
have our feet planted upon a sure rock, is by exer- 
cising faith in his name. No sinner need now per- 
ish, for eternal life is so freely offered, that those who 
perish can only perish by rushing recklessly over the 
promises of Christ, and turning a deaf ear to his 
warning voice. 

3. The result of Christ's sufferings. 

We have previously considered the love of Christ 
to sinners, and his vicarious death; and having had 
our hearts made sorrowful on account of viewing the 
suffering Saviour, we would now present a theme of 
endless joy to the believer. With his stripes we are 
healed. The great end of the life and death of the 
Saviour, as we somewhat considered under our last 
head, is the salvation of his people. To those who 
live by faith upon his name is a pardon granted, and 
his righteousness freely bestowed. There are no 
sins, however great and aggravated, but that the 
peace-speaking blood of Christ can cleanse. There 
is no corruption so deep but that Christ can remove. 
For the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin. 
It is sometimes the case that people stay away from 
Christ because they are such great sinners; and be- 
cause they have long walked in high-handed rebel- 



Christ's vicarious death. 65 

lion against God, and rejected so many offers of 
mercy, they almost view themselves beyond the reach 
of free grace. They reason thus with themselves : 
If I had always maintained a strict moral deport- 
ment — if I had never so many times rejected God, 
and sinned against him, I would at once seek for 
mercy. It is true, these things greatly aggravate 
our guilt ) but let us look to the sacred word for 
hope. " With his stripes we are healed." "I came 
not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." 
The Apostle Paul, when reviewing the manner in 
which his past life had been spent, was not at all in- 
sensible to his awful sinfulness when he was destroy- 
ing the disciples ; but instead of using this as a rea- 
son why he should not come to Christ, he takes the 
opposite view, and, using it as a reason why he should 
come, he says, "This is a faithful saying and worthy 
of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the 
world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." Here 
the Apostle views himself as not only a great sinner, 
but as the chief; as one who had not only committed 
small crimes, but as one who had committed the 
greatest crimes. Yet, with all of his wickedness and 
madness against the Church, he obtained mercy. The 
Spirit of God descended upon his heart, and through 
its influence he was laid low, and led to see that it 
was Jesus whom he was persecuting, and that it was 
through him alone that he could be saved. Thus, as 
7 



66 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY 

the result of Christ's sufferings, salvation is secured 
unto all who believe. The Apostle who had once 
been a persecutor now becomes a defender of the 
faith he once sought to destroy, and such high at- 
tainments did he make in the divine life, that he 
even desired to depart and be with Christ. While 
he felt that to live was Christ, he also felt assured 
that to die was gain. An ardent desire for the spread 
of the gospel was constantly manifested by him, and 
the great question for him to settle was, how he could 
best glorify God. He felt that a free gospel was 
placed within his hands ; and, holding forth the word 
of life, and proclaiming its precious truths, he was 
permitted to witness its divine power in bringing 
sinners to Christ. 

Again, as a result of Christ's sufferings, his people 
enter into eternal rest. The life here is usually a life 
of toil and deprivation; but there is continually 
shining upon the believer's path rays of heavenly 
light, and, like the lamp elevated upon the lamp-post 
by which the traveller obtains light, so the light which 
shines upon the believer's path shines more and more 
even unto the perfect day. Were it not for the sus- 
taining hope of a rest beyond the grave, Christ's peo- 
ple might become faint and wearied; but as we look 
beyond the bounds of time, we are enabled to count 
the sufferings of this present time as not worthy to be 
compared with the glory which shall be revealed in 



Christ's vicarious death. 67 

us. Yea, we look forward with joy to the day when 
we shall ascend on high and enjoy the continual pre- 
sence of Jesus; where no sin can ever enter to draw 
our thoughts from Christ, and where we shall forever 
enjoy the sweet fruition of his love. Oh ? happy, 
happy abode ! to dwell forever with Jesus and an- 
gels. Worthy, worthy, worthy the Lamb that was 
slain, for thou hast redeemed us. We will sing thy 
praises and make known thy mercies. Let the chil- 
dren of Zion be joyful in their King, and let his 
saints rejoice in his mercy. Yea, praise ye the Lord 
all his people. Praise him in his sanctuary; praise 
him in the firmament of his power ; praise him for 
his mighty acts ; praise him for his excellent great- 
ness, for he is the rock of our salvation, our fortress, 
our high tower, and with his stripes we are healed. 

"Who shall fulfil the boundless song? 
What vain pretender dare ? 
The theme surmounts an angel's tongue, 
And Gabriel's harp despair." 



68 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 



DISCOURSE IV. 

A SOLEMN QUESTION. 
"What will ye do in the solemn day?" — Hose A ix. 5. 

To the individual who will take the pains to con- 
sider why this solemn question is asked, there may 
be no passage in the book of the prophecy of Hosea, 
which contains a more solemn warning or practical 
lesson. The time when this prophecy was uttered, 
was about seven hundred and sixty years before 
Christ. Israel had, for a long time, gone astray, and 
cast off the fear of God, and God in his great mercy 
raised up Hosea, which was the son of Beeri, to pro- 
phecy unto the people and warn them of their great 
danger. 

He declares unto them that God will break the 
bow of Israel, and because of their wickedness, will 
cause the once strong kingdom of Israel to cease. 
Yea, he saith, "I will no more have mercy upon the 
house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away. 
For ye are not my people, and I will not be your 
God." Nevertheless, many and gracious are the 
promises which God held out to Israel, and by turn- 
ing to him he declares he will betroth them in righ- 



A SOLEMN QUESTION. 69 

teousncss. in loving kindness and mercies. He pro- 
mises them the valley of Achor for a door of hope, 
which fertile vale may be regarded as an earnest of 
the spiritual inheritance held forth to the true Israel. 

Again, the prophet cries unto Israel, saying, 
"Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: 
for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants 
of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor 
knowledge of God in the land. Therefore shall the 
land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein 
shall languish, because thou hast rejected know- 
ledge." 

After repeated and unavailing exhortations, the 
prophet is again commanded to set the trumpet to 
his mouth and make known that the enemy shall 
come as an eagle against the house of the Lord, be- 
cause they have transgressed against the covenant 
of the Lord, and trespassed against his law. Yea, he 
declares that because Israel hath sown to the wind, 
they shall reap the whirlwind. 

The literal fulfilment of these threatenings, was at 
last meted out to the children of Israel, although 
God bore long with them, and gave them space to 
repent. TTe are informed that the last king over 
Israel was Hosea, son of Elah. Hosea did that 
which was evil in the sight of the Lord ; by rejecting 
his council; and Shalmanezer, king of Assyria, 

went up against the king of Israel, and Israel became 

<1* 



70 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

his servant. At last the king of Israel formed a 
conspiracy against the king of Assyria, for which 
crime Shalmanezer took the king of Israel with his 
subjects, and carried them away captive, from which 
captivity they never returned. 

The great lesson taught us in this brief history of 
Israel is, God's mercy and long suffering with trans- 
gressors; yet the awful certainty of the transgressor, 
unless he repent, being brought to judgment. 

Although the words of the text were directed 
more particularly to the ten tribes of Israel, yet these 
words, like all prophecies which have reference to 
the accouD lability of man, come to us to-day with all 
of their primitive power, and the language of God to 
us to-day is, "What will ye do in the solemn day?" 
As obedience to God was essential to the proper 
enjoyment of the Jewish feasts referred to in the 
text, so an observance of the great commands found 
in the gospel, is as essentially requisite to our enjoy- 
ment here, and fitness hereafter to sit down at the 
great feast of the marriage Supper of the Lamb. 

We shall therefore divide our subject into five 
heads, and consider them very briefly. 

1. To whom is this solemn question directed? 

2. The certainty of a final judgment. 

3. What are the necessary preparations to meet 
that day? 

4. Have we each made these preparations ? 



A SOLEMN QUESTION. 71 

5. The final separation of the righteous and the 
wicked. 

First, then, we shall consider to whom this solemn 
question is directed. This question is directed to 
all who are within the reach of the gospel. Xone 
are exempt. The king, and the peasant; the rich, 
and the poor; the high, and the low; the bond, and 
the free, are each alike included. The language of 
inspiration bows not to earth's nobles, neither does it 
pass over or release the most lowly. It comes to 
each one saying, - 4 Return, ye sons of men." 

The text is directed with an especial force, how- 
ever, to those who are the most distinguished in 
privilege. Those who sit under the constant light of 
the gospel are thereby under the greater responsibi- 
lity. The light which constantly shone on the Jewish 
people, was the means of greatly increasing their ac- 
countability, and either led them to yield to the will 
of the Most High; or else they were compelled to 
steel their hearts against the truth, and by thus will- 
fully rejecting the truth their guilt was doubly 
awful. 

As the first and greatest crime of which they were 
guilty, consisted in a rejection of God, so the first 
and greatest crime of which we are guilty consists in 
a rejection of the only true light from above, and the 
Saviour of men. By a rejection of Christ, we mean 
not yielding to his will. While sitting under the 



72 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

gospel light, many are strangely prone to attempt to 
convince themselves that it is not absolutely necessary 
for them to give heed to the warning voice, and that 
by some means or other they will be passed by. So 
thought many of the Jews. How often did God admo- 
nish them of their wickedness, and with what empha- 
sis did he warn them of their danger. And when, at 
times, all of these warnings and threatenings failed to 
cause them to seek his face and obey his voice, his 
hand of affliction was laid heavily upon them, and 
thus through chastening they were led to see that the 
living God was the God of Israel. 

Therefore, we behold Hosea speaking to the chil- 
dren of Israel, saying, u Thou hast sinned, and there- 
fore is it my desire that I should chastise thee." 
The Israelites, as a people, afford a striking illustra- 
tion of those who are under the light of the gospel. 
They oftentimes rejected God's counsel, and forsook 
his cause, which kindled his fury against them, and 
caused him to deliver them into the hand of the 
spoilers. The threatened penalty was invariably 
meted out, unless reconciliation was made by a peni- 
tential turning to the Lord. 

So will it be with us dear friends in the great and 
solemn day. The voice of warning is raised and 
conies to us saying, "turn ye, turn ye y for why will 
ye die." 



A SOLEMN QUESTION. 73 

" Again, we hear the Lord saying unto us "As I 
live I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked." 
Nothing is, nor can be any farther from the will of 
God than to have those who are his rightful sub- 
jects turn from his holy commands and trample his 
precepts uuder their feet. Faith in, and obedience 
to Christ, is absolutely required of us in order to our 
complete justification before God ; yet man, although 
amenable to God for every transgression, is not ut- 
terly cast off until the brittle thread of life is severed. 

"While the lamp of life holds out to burn, 
The vilest sinner may return." 

Again, this solemn warning is directed to none 
but sinners. Could there be found an individual up- 
on earth who had never sinned, this solemn question 
would be to him of no practical value. He would 
listen, but not with alarm ; he would answer, but not 
with fear. There would be nothing connected there- 
with which would in the least degree awaken any sense 
of want or fear. The reason would be, because of an 
inward conviction that he was already justified by a 
personal obedience. There could be no compunctions 
of conscience, for the heart would be guiltless. There 
could be no sense of unworthiness, for the heart has 
never been alienated from God on account of wicked 
works. To such an one the promises and threat- 
nings of God would militate against what his heart 
daily realized. Thus it is that sinners only are ad- 



74 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

monished by the words of the text. It is not a class 
of intelligences who have never sinned, but it is 
fallen, ruined man. There is no exemption, however 
much self-righteousness there may be around the 
sinner's heart, for we are assured that all have 
sinned and come short of the glory of God. Both 
believers and unbelievers may alike take the words 
home to their own hearts and learn a deep lesson of 
instruction therefrom, although the situation of the 
parties maybe very dissimilar. The one is justified, 
but it is through faith in the merits of Christ ; and 
as a fallen being, liable often to err ; and even at 
times to forget his allegiance to the cross, he needs 
to be constantly admonished of duty, and the so- 
lemnities of the judgment oft need to be brought be- 
fore the mind. Hence it is that we are exhort- 
ed to be faithful unto death, that we may receive the 
crown of life. " Brethren, ye have need of patience" 
says the apostle Paul "that after having done the will 
of God ye may receive the promises." Not a momen- 
tary obedience; not a zeal which passes away ere the 
conquest is over; not a devotion which may be render- 
ed to-day and withheld to-morrow ; but, God requires 
an obedience which is lasting as life, a zeal which time 
does not quench, and a devotion which even the 
flames of persecution cannot destroy. Such is the 
lesson which the believer may derive from the text 
in view of the solemn day. 



A SOLEMN QUESTION. 75 

We shall now consider the condition of the unbe- 
liever, and the lesson conveyed in the words of our 
text. By the term unbeliever we mean one who has 
not accepted of Christ as his Saviour. 

The holy Word abounds with proof showing that 
the heart unrenewed is enmity against God. Hence 
we find man everywhere exhorted to repent and turn 
to the Lord. Numerous are the incentives placed 
before him to induce him to accept of the way of 
life. 

A crown of life is offered \ a rest above which 
lasts for aye ; the society of Jesus and angels for- 
ever ; whilst upon the other hand lies an incentive 
equally strong, an eternity of misery to be shunned. 

Will you my dear dying friends, but pause for a 
moment, and seriously consider your great danger 
while we ask you this thrilling question, " What will 
ye do in the solemn day Y 9 You are now condemned, 
your own heart and God's holy Word both tell you 
so, for out of Christ our God is a consuming fire. 
Think for a moment of your fearful situation. Think 
of the heaven to be enjoyed, or the misery to be en- 
dured. Think how, in your present state, you would 
dare to meet that day of the wrath of the Lamb. 
Fly upon the wings of your imagination and picture 
yourself this moment standing before God in judg- 
ment. Oh ! that great, that solemn day which soon 
awaits you ! 



76 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

2. We shall now consider the certainty of a final 
judgment. 

And, first upon this point we would remark, the 
day of judgment is one of the fixed purposes of God. 
" The hour is coming in the which all that are in the 
grave shall hear his voice, and shall come forth : 
they that have done good, unto the resurrection of 
life; and they that have done evil, unto the resur- 
rection of damnation." 

Again, we are informed in the book of Chronicles 
that the Lord cometh to judge the earth; and in 
Psalms ix. 7 we read, "the Lord hath prepared his 
throne for judgment. And he shall judge the world 
•in righteousness." Turn also to Acts xvii. 31: 
" Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will 
judge the world in righteousness by that man whom 
he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance 
unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the 
dead." Hebrews ix. 27: "It is appointed unto men 
once to die, but after this the judgment." Amongst 
the innumerable other passages which we might 
quote by way of proof of the day of judgment, we 
refer lastly to Rev. xx. 12-15 : "And I saw the 
dead, small and great, stand before God; and the 
books were opened : and another book was opened, 
which is the book of life: and the dead were judged 
out of those things which were written in the books, 
according to their works. And the sea gave up the 



A SOLEMN QUESTION. 77 

dead which were in it; and death and hell gave up 
the dead which were in them: and they were judged 
every man according to their works. And death 
and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the 
second death. And whosoever was not found written 
in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." 

how terrible, how awful will be that day when 
Christ will judge the world in righteousness! The 
pealing thunders which rolled around, and the awful 
presence of God which was manifested upon Mount 
Sinai, we are informed, was so terrible to behold, 
that Moses, the holy man of God, said: "I exceed- 
ingly fear and quake." And, if such be the awful 
presence of God when he comes to deliver counsel 
and instruction to his people, how unspeakably awful 
will be his appearance when he comes in flaming fire 
to reward his people, and take vengeance upon those 
who obey not God nor obey the gospel. Oh! how 
terrible will be the sight when we shall see the Son 
of man coming in the clouds of heaven with the holy 
angels j and when the clear shrill blast of the arch- 
angel's trump will re-echo and reverberate through- 
out the heavens and the earth, startling the teeming 
millions of the dead from their graves, and when he 
shall place one foot upon the sea and the other upon 
the land, and swear by him that liveth forever that 
time shall be no longer. Oh ! that great, that notable 
day of the Lord of hosts ! He comes ! methinks I see 



78 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

the Saviour coming, for lie says I come quickly. He 
comes ! not as the despised Nazarene, but as the 
Lion of the tribe of Judah. He comes ! in his 
flaming chariot, swifter than the clouds of heaven, 
methinks I see him coming. Look at those terror- 
stricken countenances now ghastly pale — who are 
they? They are the very persons who have rejected 
Christ, and they are now crying for the rocks and 
the mountains to fall on them and hide them from the 
face of the Lamb. The earth is reeling upon its 
axis, and even now are the devouring flames sweep- 
ing over it, whilst the heavens are turned into one 
awful canopy of fire. Oh ! who shall abide the day 
of his coming ? " The great day of his wrath is come, 
and who shall be able to stand ?" The judgment 
day, the great day of the Lord Almighty, has come. 
The sea, that boundless graveyard without a tomb- 
stone or monument, gives up its countless millions, 
who have, perhaps, for centuries securely slept, 

Beneath the ocean's briny serf, 
Calm on the ocean's bed. 

The lone caverns which thousands of years ago 
have been filled with human forms, and then se- 
curely cemented at the entrance, so that the eye of 
the traveller could scarcely distinguish the spot, are 
rent open by the mighty power of God, and the 
wasted dust re-animated. The lone church-yard also 
gives up its treasured dead. The wasted dust which 



A SOLEMN QUESTION. [79 

ha? long been scattered to the four winds of heaven, 
is again collected and re-animated by the power of 
tha Most High. The form which has for long cen- 
turies remained upon some snow-capped mountain, or 
some giant iceberg in the distant polar sea, is again 
startled into life, and once more becomes the recep- 
tacle of the Spirit. The form which has for long 
years slumbered upon some distant isle of the sea, far 
from the reach of mortal ken, hears the life-giving 
blast of the archangel's trump, and awakes to the 
awful judgment. " And I saw the dead, small and 
great, stand before God." Here, dear hearers, we 
behold that there is no exclusion. There will be the 
tender infant, whose warbling tongue was so early 
hushed beneath the stroke of the dark-winged angel 
of death. There will be the child who had just 
passed into years of accountability, but who was sud- 
denly plucked from earth and passed quickly away 
like the morning flowers. There will be the young- 
man or woman who once bid fair for long life, but, 
alas ! the fell destroyer seized the form, and laid its 
victim low. There will be the aged form, whose 
once tottering step long years foretold that death 
was near. All of these will appear before the awful 
bar of God. 

We now come to a more solemn point if possible, 
viz.: a distinction of character. The infant child 
will appear upon that day, but accepted in Christ, 



80 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

having never committed actual transgression, and 
being included, as we believe, in the great covenant 
of redemption between the Father and the Son. The 
child of accountability who has early given its young 
heart to the Saviour, will behold with joy the star- 
decked crown, and hear the welcome plaudit, " Come 
ye blessed of my Father." The mature or aged be- 
liever who while here fought bravely under the banner 
of the cross, will be then exalted, having kept the 
faith. Joy unspeakable and full of glory will swell 
each peaceful breast. 

But, dear hearers, allow me for a moment to turn 
to another class. In that great day will appear the 
despiser of God's holy word; the man who neither 
regarded man nor feared his Maker. But, alas ! how 
changed the scene. When it is too late, and the 
flames of eternal woe are rising before him, he begins 
to realize in some degree the priceless value of a 
Saviour's blood. 

There also will be the infidel who could once scoff 
at religion without remorse and who feasted upon 
and gloated o'er any supposed failing of the Christian* 
There will be Voltaire, whose efforts to supplant 
Christianity have been the means of destroying 
thousands. There will be the far-famed infidel 
Paine, who once labored so hard to scatter broadcast 
the seeds of infidelity; but who at last fell a victim 
to the most debasing appetites. 



A SOLEMN QUESTION. 81 

There too will be the individual who for many 
years sat under the light of the gospel, and who 
often, like Agrippa, was almost persuaded to be a 
Christian, but who was suddenly cut off ere the de- 
cision was made. Oh ! how changed to such will be 
the scene. All of the once hu?;e fabrics which have 

o 

been built upon the fancied excuses in life will have 
then passed away, and eternity in all of its awful 
reality will appear : 

" The day of wrath, that dreadful day, 
"When heaven and earth shall pass away; 
What power shall be the sinner's stay ? 
How shall he meet that dreadful day? 

When shrivelling like a parched scroll, 
The naming heavens together roll ; 
And louder yet, and yet more dread, 
Resounds the trump that wakes the dead." 

3. We shall now consider what are the necessary 
preparations to meet that day, although this has 
been more than anticipated, and somewhat dwelt 
upon, in our discourse upon our second head. 

And in the first place we would remark that in 
order to meet that day in peace we must have a per- 
sonal interest in Christ. 

Under our second head, we showed that the day 
of judgment was one of the fixed purposes of eter- 
nity, and that it would come upon us quickly. 
When we thus view the solemn day approaching 



82 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES TOR THE LAITY 

with more than electric speed, how our hearts should 
be stirred with deep anxiety, to be prepared to meet 
our G-od. This can only be done by a letting go of 
self, and taking hold on Christ ; or, in other words, 
relinquishing all hopes of salvation by works of 
righteousness which we have done, and receiving by 
faith the righteousness of Christ. The heart must be 
brought to a realizing sense of the deep depravity 
which dwells therein, and the will must be brought 
into meek submission to the will of Christ. u By 
grace are ye saved through faith." As the natural 
man sees nothing lovely in Christ, the veil must be 
torn aside; and, instead of viewing the Saviour as a 
root out of dry ground, having neither form nor 
comeliness, he must be viewed as the chief among 
ten thousand, and altogether lovely. Our highest 
affections must be placed upon him. Those pleasures 
of this world which are deleterious in their effects 
upon our hearts, must be abandoned, in order that 
the loftiest faculties may concentrate upon Christ. 
The frivolous pursuits of life need all to be set aside, 
and we must watch and be sober. 

The inordinate love of riches must be guarded 
against, and the actions guided by an enlightened 
judgment. In fine, the entire heart with all its af- 
fections, must be supremely centred upon Christ. 
"I beseech you," says Paul, " by the mercies of God, 
that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, 



A SOLEMN QUESTION. 83 

acceptable unto God ; which is your reasonable ser- 
vice. And be not conformed to this world ; but be 
ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that 
ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and 
perfect will of God." Here we have most clearly 
brought to view the path designed for the Christian 
to walk in. A disconformity to the world, in those 
things which tend to lead the heart from Christ, is 
one of the grand essentials to a holy life. But here 
we would remark the holiness of heart referred to, 
cannot be the result of any mere outward reforma- 
tion — although there must be an outward change — 
but must be the result of acceptance of and obedience 
to Christ. The hard and stony heart must be taken 
away, and the deep stains of sin removed. The su- 
preme object must be to glorify God, and the Holy 
Spirit must find a temple of delight within the heart. 
Love to God, and a desire to obey him, must be a 
reigning principle within the heart; and those holy 
desires must be manifested by an active and holy 
life. There is something more required of us than 
merely declaring openly and in a public manner, 
that we are the servants of Christ, (although this is 
essential), we are required also to make it our 
highest and greatest aim in life, to advance the Re- 
deemer's kingdom. 

The glorious banner of the cross is unfurled, and 
the name of the Lord of hosts inscribed upon its 



84 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

waving colors, while beneath it is marshalled the 
Christian host, with the command resting upon each 
one, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give 
thee a crown of life." To the true soldier of the 
cross, there is no retreat. The prize is placed at the 
end of the Christian race, and both inward and 
outward foes beset us in our journey through this 
foreign land, but by a familiar acquaintance with 
the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of 
God, we may be able to so wield its truths as 
to overcome through the blood of the Lamb. 
Paul, in speaking of the Christian conflict, exhorts 
us to so run that we may obtain the prize, and so 
fight against sin as to win the victory. The life of 
the believer is often represented in the sacred word 
as being a life of toil and self-denial; but, with 
all of these hardships and conflicts, there is a sensi- 
ble nearness to one who knows full well every 
temptation and trial, and who is ever ready to deli- 
ver from temptation. There is no difficulty in the 
way but what Jesus can remove, nor barrier but what 
he will reduce. The advance steps are before us, but 
they are steps of peace, although to the disinterested 
they may at times seem to be difficult. Indeed they 
would be difficult were we to attempt to accomplish 
any thing in our own strength ; but when we realize 
that the blessed Saviour has promised that he will 
never leave nor forsake us, seeming burdens become 



A SOLEMN QUESTION. 85 

light, and personal duties are easily performed. Thus, 
by an active and influential faith in the Saviour, we 
become strong in the Lord and in the power of his 
might ; and by thus relying upon Christ, we have 
those preparations which will enable us to stand jus- 
tified in the solemn day. 

We thus behold what is essentially necessary to 
prepare us for the great future. Being regenerated 
by the spirit of God, having sought and obtained a 
personal interest in Christ, and having lived a life of 
holy obedience to him ; we are by this means prepared 
to meet the untried scenes of eternity. 

4. Have we each made those preparations ? For 
the solution of this important inquiry, we wish each 
one to make a personal application of this question. 

It is always an easy matter to reason upon and 
about abstract theories; yet this, however good in 
itself considered, fails of reaching the heart, and, to 
use the language of Pollock, " Leaves the heart un- 
touched, the conscience uninformed." Hence the 
necessity of making a home application. 

Let every man examine himself in the searching 
light of divine truth, and you will be the better qua- 
lified to answer this momentous question. The evi- 
dences of discipleship are essentially the same in all 
true believers, and if we will but for a moment turn 
to the first Epistle of John, we may perhaps be able 
to easily understand our true standing. 9 a Brethren, if 



86 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart 
and knoweth all things. Whosoever sinneth, hath 
not seen him, neither known him. He that loveth 
not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth 
his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no mur- 
derer hath eternal life dwelling in him." But, " be- 
loved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we con- 
fidence towards God. And whosoever is born of God 
doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him, 
and he cannot sin. In this the children of God are 
manifest. We know that we have passed from death 
unto life, because we love the brethren. And what- 
soever we ask ; we receive of him, because we keep 
his commandments, and do those things which are 
pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, 
that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus 
Christ, and love one another as he gave us command- 
ment. And he that keepeth his commandments 
dwelleth in him and he in him. And hereby we 
know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he 
hath given us." 

From these extracts from the word of God, we 
have a clear view of what constitutes the Christian 
character, and no one ne#d fail of thoroughly under- 
standing his true standing before God, 

Oftentimes people shun to examine their hearts 
in the light of divine truth, for the simple reason that 
they do not have any desire to see how sinful they 



A SOLEMN QUESTION. 87 

are. and how justly they stand condemned. But 
however much we may wish to shun such an ex- 
amination, the time is fast hastening when we shall be 
called upon to appear before our Judge, and be judged 
out of this book of life. Then will every baseless 
hope perish, and every mouth be stopped. Then will 
every refuge of lies be swept away, and no security in 
human works be found. 

Oh ! that we might each, in view of the importance 
of this subject, flee at once to Chris t, and place our 
hope of salvation upon his finished righteousness. 
Come just as you are, saying : 

'•Nothing in my hands I bring, 
Simply to thy cross I cling." 

5. We shall now consider very briefly our fifth 
head, viz : The final separation of the righteous and 
the wicked. 

However sad the contemplation of this fact be 
to our minds, it is one which is often presented to us 
in the gospel. It is a subject which should at once 
arouse the careless and quicken the believers. " The 
hour is coming," saith Jesus, "in the which all that 
are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come 
forth : they that have done good unto the resurrection 
of life ; and they that have done evil unto the resur- 
rection of damnation. Says Paul, in speaking of the 
resurrection, " There shall be a resurrection both of 
the iust and unjust." Again, in Revelation xx. 14, 



88 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

15, we read that " death and hell were cast into the 
lake of fire. And whosoever was not found written in 
the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire." Also 
in the book of Matthew we read that "before the Son 
of man shall be gathered all nations, and he shall 
separate them one from another, as a shepherd divi- 
deth his sheep from the goats. Then shall the King 
say unto them on his right hand, come, ye blessed of 
my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you 
from the foundation of the world. Then shall he 
say unto them on his left hand, depart from me, ye 
cursed, into everlasting fire. These shall go away 
into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into 
life eternal." 

Oh! how joyous will be that day to the believer; 
but how terrible to those who disobey God and obey 
not the gospel. 

In that vast throng will be many who will say, 
a Lord have we not prophesied in thy name, and in 
thy name done many wonderful works;" but the 
Lord will answer them, saying, " I never knew you: 
depart from me, ye workers of iniquity." We are 
informed that " not every one that saith unto me, 
Lord, Lord, shall enter into my kingdom, but he that 
doeth the will of my Father." 

Here we may fancy fathers and mothers, sisters and 
brothers, children and parents, and all of those bound 
together by the different ties of relationship, meeting 



A SOLEMN QUESTION. 89 

and separating for the last time. Remorse may then 
take hold upon the wicked, and they may gnaw their 
tongues for pain, but, alas! it is too late, too late. 
The gates of hell will be then closed forever, and the 
sounds of the sluggish waves, as they bathe the dismal 
shore of the lake of woe, will resound from shore to 
shore; and throughout the hollow arches of this drear 
abode will continually reecho these words, forever, 
forever, forever. 

"And must I be to judgment brought, 
And in that solemn day, 
Give an account for every thought, 
And idle word I say V 

May each one draw a deep lesson from the con- 
templation of this subject, and may we realize that 
we are all bound to the awful judgment seat of 
Christ, from whose face the heavens and the earth 
will soon flee away. Seeing, then, dear hearers, that 
all things here below must soon be dissolved, what 
manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conver- 
sation and godliness. May God apply this subject 
to our hearts. Amen. 



90 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 



DISCOURSE V. 

CHRISTIAN BLESSEDNESS. 

" Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope 
the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, 
and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not 
see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and 
shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall 
cease from yielding fruit." — Jeremiah xvii. 7, 8. 

The sacred Word affords abundant proof, showing 
us that he that trusteth in the Lord is supremely 
blessed. Having sought an interest in the Lord of 
hosts, the believer thereby obtains a seat at the king's 
table, and is nourished and strengthened by the hand 
of the Most High. Peace reigns within the heart, 
for an approving God smiles affectionately upon him, 
and the light of heaven directs his steps. "Blessed 
is the man that trusteth in the Lord." This blessed- 
ness consists in peace of mind, purity of heart, and a 
quiet reliance upon Christ for salvation. A holy life 
is the result, or springs out of this reliance upon 
Christ, and instead of the mind being harassed with 
anger, hatred, malice, and fearful forebodings, there 
is love, joy ; and peace. As Christ dwells within the 



CHRISTIAN BLESSEDNESS. 91 

heart, and the Spirit witnesses the acceptance of the 
believer, the deep anxiety which was once felt, is re- 
moved, and a heavenly calm rests upon the soul. A 
life of usefulness is also one of the grand results of 
hoping in the Lord, and he who obtains this hope 
lives upon promises which can never fail, for they 
are all yea and amen in Christ Jesus. 

The inspired penman uses a striking figure to 
illustrate the peculiar blessedness of him whose hope 
is in the Lord. He assures us that he shall be as a 
tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out 
her roots by the river. As it is absolutely necessary 
for the believer to quench his spiritual thirst from 
life's flowing fountain, the beautiful figure of a tree 
planted by the river is brought to view, showing 
that as the running stream is the source of life to the 
branching tree, so he that trusteth in the Lord 
dwells beside the never- failing fountain of life, which 
preserves- the soul from death, and enables us to 
grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. 

It shall not see when heat cometh, that is, shall 
not feel its withering power, for the cool stream from 
which it derives its support is unfailing; and although 
the trees of the forest wither and die, this tree may 
still be seen flourishing, and upon its many branches 
may be seen the green leaves and peuding fruit, 
which show there is no lack of support. The burn- 
ing sun affects it not; the lack of moisture from 



92 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

above fails to cause it to wither; for down, far down 
the winding roots gather moisture from the never- 
failing stream. Even when the earth all around is 
parching for lack of moisture, we may here gather 
fruit. In order to the more forcibly impress your 
minds with this figure, let us for a moment imagine 
the sad state which the earth would be in were the 
clouds to withhold the rain for a season. Those ver- 
dant hills now so beautifully clothed in a rich garb 
of green, would, ere long, present the sad picture of 
a barren waste. Those mountains upon whose rugged 
sides may now be seen the waving pine and lofty oak, 
would soon present the sad spectacle of lifeless trunks 
and withered branches. The burning sun which for- 
merly quickened vegetation, would soon kill every 
spark of vegetable life, and its scorching rays would 
cause the earth to become a gloomy desert. The beau- 
ties of nature would fade, wither, and pass away, and 
earth's present attractiveness would soon disappear. 
But while this would be the case where moisture could 
not be obtained, let us contemplate the tree planted by 
the side of a never-failing river. Yonder, in the dis- 
tance, behold a tree which shows signs of life and vi- 
tality. As we approach it, behold its leaves are green. 
Ah! what meaneth this? As we approach still 
nearer— surprising fact — upon its waving branches 
may be seen in rich clusters the delicious fruit. 
What meaneth this ? The hills and mountains are 



CHRISTIAN BLESSEDNESS. 93 

destitute of vegetation; the wide spread plains and 
valleys are drear and barren ; but here, before us, is 
a tree which is spreading its green branches, and its 
leaves are not withered. We press the inquiry yet 
farther, and approach still nearer, until we stand 
upon the green bank of the river, and here the mys- 
tery is solved. We now can easily understand why 
the green leaves and rich fruit are seen, for the 
winding roots reach even to the running stream 
below. 

Let us now, for a moment, spiritualize the figure, 
and all is plain. The believer is in a dry, parched 
land. There is nothing connected with this earth 
which can satisfy his hungering soul, or quench his 
thirst; nevertheless, he is supremely blessed, for he 
drinks from the unfailing stream of life, and dwells 
even while here with the Saviour Immanuel. The 
cup of salvation is placed within his hand, and the 
stream of salvation is flowing at his side. He drinks 
from its living waters, from which, if a man drink, 
he shall never die. The result of dwelling by the 
side of this living stream is most clearly seen, for in 
seasons of great moral dearth, when wickedness is 
spreading over the land, there stands the believer, 
with his feet firmly planted upon the Rock of ages, 
and from the stream of salvation he drinks and lives 
forever. Like the tree referred to, which spreadeth 
her branches and yieldeth fruit, so the believer 



94 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

dwells by the side of a stream which flows through 
Immanuers land, and he sits under the shadow of 
the Most High. Having made these introductory 
remarks, we shall now proceed to speak upon 

1. What constitutes the believer's hope. 

2. We shall give some reasons why the believer ] 
is blessed. 

3. The result of believing in Christ. 

First, then, we shall dwell for a short time upon 
what constitutes the believer's hope. By the term 
hope here we understand, desire united with expecta- 
tion. In order for hope to arise in the mind of any 
one, there must be a weight of evidence brought to 
bear upon the mind to convince us that the thing is 
true, and will come to pass, and we must also be per- 
suaded that happiness will be the ultimate result 
With regard to the things of this life, we readily see 
that hope is constantly exercised. To illustrate. A 
near and dear friend, who has long been in some fo- 
reign land, sends us a line that upon such a day he 
will return to his friends and relatives. From that 
very moment hope springs up in the mind, and with 
much anxiety do those friends look forward to the 
time when the long absent friend will return. Here 
we at once see that hope is based upon the weight of 
evidence. We might also illustrate the idea in some 
degree, were it necessary, by referring to the more 
common events of life; but all of these illustrations 



CHRISTIAN BLESSEDNESS. 95 

Would fail to illustrate, only in part, the true nature 
of the believer's hope. 

Christ alone is the object of the believer's hope, 
and his hopes of eternal happiness rest wholly upon 
him. Haying loved his own even unto the end, the 
believer is enabled to look unto him as all of his sal- 
vation, and all of his desire. Hope rests firmly upon 
Christ, and is beautifully set forth as being an anchor 
to the soul ; both sure and steadfast, and which en- 
tereth into that within the veil. Yes, the hope of 
the believer reaches through the dark veil drawn by 
the hand of the Most High between earth and heaven ; 
and clasping hold upon the Saviour, who sitteth at 
the right hand of God, it serves to keep him from 
being dashed upon the rocks which constantly sur- 
round us upon the ocean of life. The gathering 
storm may break with maddened fury, the foaming 
waves may roll like mountains around him, yet he 
feels safe and secure, for he is safely anchored upon 
the Rock of Ages, and there is no 'fear of being 
stranded upon the shore of woe. Immovably is the 
believer united to Christ, and the ocean may be 
deeply stirred, the waves may heavily dash around 
him, and the beating storm may swiftly come; but, 
although the very fountains of the great deep may 
be broken up, the believer need not fear. 

Having shown that the Christian's hope rests 
wholly upon Christ, we will now consider some of the 



96 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

reasons why he exercises this hope. And we would 
remark, first, because he believes God's holy word. 
He here learns that God has revealed himself as a 
sin-pardoning God, and that through the mediation 
of his own Son, sinners lost, ruined, undone, may be 
saved. He here learns that God has left many and 
gracious promises for those who will trust in him, 
and that Jesus has promised to be with such even 
unto the end. The Holy Spirit from above descends 
and dwells in the heart, and comforts by his pre- 
sence, and he is enabled to realize the preciousness 
of the promises to him that believeth. He believes, 
and is forever blessed. Yea, he is blessed with a peace 
which the world can neither give nor take away. 
The changes and vicissitudes of life may be ever so 
many, yet they affect him not essentially, for the 
heart is staid upon Christ, and he remains unmoved, 
for he feels that Jesus is his portion, both for time 
and for eternity. The Lord is his refuge, his hope, 
and his strength, and the heart is a habitation of God 
through the Spirit. The believer's heart thus be- 
comes a temple, in which the Saviour dwells. In 
harmony with this thought is the teaching of Paul 
to his Colossian brethren, when he speaks of the great 
mystery of the riches of the glory of God's grace 
which, he says, is " Christ in you the hope of glory/ > 
Christ in you the hope of glory! Ah ! how precious 
is this thought to the believer ! Christ dwells in the 



CHRISTIAN BLESSEDNESS. 97 

heart of every true believer, and lie would so purify 
it as to reflect his own divine image. Sitting as a 
refiner of silver, he transforms his people even from 
glory to glory. How divinely blest, then, is he who 
trusteth in the Lord! He shall go from strength to 
strength, until he appears at length in Zion. The 
Scriptures of truth are taken as the man of his coun- 
sel, and his delight is in the law of the Lord, after 
the inner man. The temptations of this world may 
try him. and the enemy of souls may assail him, but 
with the shield of faith he is able to quench all of 
the fiery darts of the wicked. Feeling, then, that we 
have a title to the mansions of rest, through Jesus, 
the Divine Mediator, with what devout gratitude 
should we ever seek to glorify his holy name ! 

11 for a thousand seraphs' tongues, 
To bless the incarnate Word: 
for a thousand thankful tongues, 
In honor of my Lord." 

" Come, tune afresh your golden lyres, 
Ye angels round the throne, 
Ye saints in all your sacred choirs, 
Adore the eternal Son." 

Secondly, some of the reasons why the believer is 
blest. 

The great blessings conferred upon the believer, 
are the fruits of redeeming grace and everlasting love. 
Had not everlasting love been manifested toward 



95 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

man, these blessings could never have been enjoyed. 
But Jesus has given to his people a purchased pos- 
session, and through his mediatorial labors and sa- 
crificial offering the Father smiles approvingly upon 
them, and freely bestows his rich grace. As Jesus 
has purchased his people, they are adopted by the 
Father, and constituted legal heirs to the inheritance 
in heaven. There are no wants but the Father sees 
and supplies. The young lions may lack for food, 
but they who walk uprightly shall never lack for any 
needed blessing. We say needed blessing, for much 
of the discontentment in the Christian world arises 
from inordinate desires for that which is neither ne- 
cessary to our usefulness, nor essential to our hap- 
piness. 

Again, the believer is blessed because he commits 
the keeping of his soul to God. Like Paul he is 
persuaded that God is able to keep that which he 
has committed unto him against that day. He feels 
that he is not able of himself to do this, but that 
God is able, and because he has promised he will 
perform. He realizes that God will protect him, 
and therefore his confidence is firm. He is kept not 
by human power, but by the power of God through 
faith unto salvation. Yes, the arm which moves the 
world is exercised in his behalf, and under this pro- 
tection he is safe forever. By this we would not 
wish to be understood that believers have no doubts 



CHRISTIAN BLESSEDNESS. 99 

nor spiritual trials ; by no means. We have been 
considering the leading points in the Christian ex- 
perience , the grand total, taken as a whole. If the 
believer at times forgets his reliance and dependence 
upon God, he will find himself like Samson when 
shorn of his locks. But when he rests wholly upon 
God, he feels the support of a divine hand, and be- 
comes like Samson when his hands are upon the pil- 
lars of the house. Although within the heart may 
be many a hard conflict with sin, yet he whose trust 
is in God will assuredly come off a glorious victor. 
Arrayed within the heart may stand the giants of 
Philistia with drawn battle-blades, but Christ will 
always cause his people to triumph and become even 
more than conquerors. God has promised that he 
will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are 
able, but will with every temptation provide a way of 
escape ; and if our hope is in lively exercise, we shall 
be able to trust confidently in this promise. Yes, as 
David dodged the javelin thrust at him by the infu- 
riated Saul, so may we evade the fiery darts of the 
wicked. No doubt Saul was confident that with his 
skilful hand he could with the javelin which he held 
fasten David to the wall. But the hand of God was 
there, and although Saul knew it not, the shield of 
omnipotence was before David. He was a man after 
God's own heart, and although his adversaries might 
rise against him and raise innumerable hosts to slay 



100 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

him, yet God's arm was laid bare in his protection 
and preservation. When forced to flee from the 
presence of Saul he lacks not for bread, for he is even 
fed from the table of the Lord, upon sanctified bread. 
After having seen the wonderful protection and pre- 
serving care which God had so mercifully exercised 
over him, who can doubt that the hand of God was 
there ? 

In all of the spiritual difficulties which we are 
called to pass through, if we are faithful to the Sa- 
viour's cause, we shall as certainly receive assistance 
and strength as did the servant David. Yes ; that 
same Being who rendered temporal deliverance to 
David, will render to us all needed spiritual deliver- 
ance. May we not feel then to exclaim u Jehovah 
Jireh," the Lord will provide. Surely, the Lord God 
is a sun and shield unto all them that walk up- 
rightly. 

Again, another reason why the believer is blessed is 
because he is a partaker of the divine nature, says 
the sacred writer, Peter, " Accordingas his divine 
power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto 
life and godliness, through the knowledge of him 
that hath called us to glory and virtue. Whereby 
are given unto us exceeding great and precious 
promises : that by these ye might be partakers of 
the divine nature." Here, then, we have the Scrip- 
ture declaration that he that believeth in Jesus is a 



CHRISTIAN BLESSEDNESS. 101 

partaker of the divine nature. This is perhaps one 
of the strongest reasons why we are blessed, and is the 
direct fruit of redeeming grace and dying love. As 
the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature, 
an intimate relationship exists between him and the 
Saviour, and God abundantly blesses him. The royal 
robe is placed upon him, the fatted calf is killed, and 
jubilant rejoicing is now heard. A crown of life 
awaits him above, and he is even now in the posses- 
sion of that peace which passeth knowledge. 

Holy desires arise within the heart as the effects 
of this divine connection, and the believer's great 
desire is to know the will of his Master, who is in 
heaven. Like Solomon, he feels to ask for wisdom 
from above, pleading the promise of God that he will 
give liberally and upbraid not. Again, another rea- 
son we might mention why the believer is blest is be- 
cause Jesus intercedes for him. We have an advo- 
cate with the Father Christ Jesus, the righteous. 
As the believer lifts his heart to God in holy aspira- 
tions, the Saviour intercedes for him, and by show- 
ing his pierced side, and pleading his sacrificial death, 
the needed blessings are bestowed. Every prayer of 
faith is indited with the Saviour's love ; and he even 
knows our wants better than we can express. 

Oh ! what encouragement to the believer. Jesus 
ever watching over him, shielding him from danger, 
delivering him from evil, strengthening him to do 
10 



102 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

his will, quickening and comforting him by his Spirit, 
supplying all of his multitudinous wants, listening 
attentively to every prayer, and ever interceding in 
his behalf at the throne of the Most High. 

" Jesus, thy boundless love to me, 

No thought can reach, no tongue declare; 
Unite my thankful heart to thee, 
And reign without a rival there. 

" Thy love, how cheering is its ray ! 
All pain before its presence flies,* 
Care, anguish, sorrow, melt away, 
Where'er its healing beams arise." 

Third : The result of believing in Christ. 

Under our second head we gave some of the 
reasons why the believer is blessed. We showed 
that it was because he believes the holy Word, be- 
comes a partaker of the divine nature, and because 
Jesus intercedes for him. We now are to consider 
the result of believing in Christ. Says the text — 
"He shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and 
that spreadeth out her roots by the river." In those 
countries where droughts are frequent, and where 
large portions of the country are rendered barren, the 
force of this figure may perhaps be more clearly seen. 
In times of drought, when vegetation refuses to 
grow, and when, as in the days of Jacob, no food can 
be obtained, save only that which has been previously 
laid by, this figure may peculiarly illustrate the pre- 



CHRISTIAN BLESSEDNESS. 103 

serving power of God. Let us, however, for a mo- 
ment contemplate the sad spectacle which this coun- 
try would present, were rain to cease. Ere long the 
tender grain which had just sprung up would wither and 
die. The blades of grass which were just stretching 
upward would soon disappear. The trees of the fo- 
rest, which had lately been refreshed by the vernal 
rains, would soon spread their deep roots in vain for 
moisture, and gradually would they wither and die. 
The land would present one vast scene of desolation, 
and gloom and suffering would be depicted upon every 
countenance. The drifting sands would be whirled 
around us, and the scorching sun would pour its re- 
lentless rays down upon us, whilst our lips would be 
parching for lack of moisture. Could we at such a 
time catch a glimpse of a tree in the distance which 
was stretching its branches heavenward, and whose 
boughs were laden with fruit, with what quickened 
pace would we approach the spot. Yet, dear hearers, 
this figure is a representation of the believer, amid the 
unbelieving world. Like the unfading leaf referred to 
in the text, the believer will manifest, even in trying 
times, a spiritual life. In seasons of great apostasy 
from the faith, especially, will we find this to be the 
case. Upon such occasions, when infidelity stalks 
abroad in the land, and when the multitude are fol- 
lowing some wild hallucination; when the dark 
clouds of superstition are hovering around the dark- 



104 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

ened mind, and when the Saviour is lightly esteemed; 
in such seasons, we say, may be seen the humble fol- 
lower of Jesus, pursuing the narrow path which the 
Saviour trod, quenching his thirst from life's living 
stream, and bending every energy to attain to that 
rest that remaineth for the people of God. The cries 
which meet his ear of " Great is Diana of the Ephe- 
sians!" arrests not his attention, and, like the Apos- 
tle, he is persuaded that neither " heigh t ; nor .depth, 
nor any other creature, shall be able to separate him 
from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our 
Lord." A divine power is exercised in his behalf, and 
the Eternal's hand is extended even unto him, so that 
nothing can remove him from God. But you will 
notice a peculiarity concerning the believer ; illustrated 
in the text. He shall be as a tree planted by the 
waters. This tree did not spring up here of its own 
accord — it was planted here by a friendly hand. By 
nature it was like the trees of the surrounding forest, 
but it has been removed from its place of nativity, 
and been planted upon the bank of a never-failing 
stream. Before it was liable to be scorched by the 
burning heat in the season of drought; but it has 
been removed from the place of danger, and carefully 
planted in a rich soil by a living stream; and now, 
although the earth all around presents the sad pic- 
ture of blight and decay, still its deep-laden boughs 
bend with fruit, and its leaf fadeth never. The be- 



CHRISTIAN BLESSEDNESS. 105 

liever, which is here referred to, has in like manner 
been removed from a place of danger, and now dwells 
safely upon Immanuel's land. Once he was far from 
the stream of life, and he was in danger of being de- 
stroyed at any moment; but the kind hand of the 
Saviour has been extended to him, and he has been 
taken from the place of danger, and now dwells in 
the presence of Immanuel. 

Again, this tree is not planted by the stream to 
grow for a season, and then wither and die; but its 
leaf shall be green, and it shall not cease yielding. 
fruit. 

So the believer presents marks of life, spiritual in 
its nature, which clearly indicate that his life is hid 
with Christ in God. His life clearly manifests a hid- 
den spring of action, and that he is guided by him 
who measures the ocean with the hollow of his hand. 
Yes, he who holds the destinies of the nation in his 
hands — he who ruleth in the armies of heaven, and 
by his own almighty fiat hath spoken the worlds into 
existence — is with the believer ; blessing and strength- 
ening him. 

There is also another characteristic of this tree 
spoken of, upon which we would wish to dwell more 
particularly. It shall not cease yielding fruit. In 
like manner will the true believer not cease being 
fruitful in good works. It is one of the grand ele- 
ments of Christianity. The life of the believer 
10* 



106 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

will be a fruitful one. It is the will of the Saviour 
that his people be fruitful in every good word and 
work. Then why should we be so inactive ? Let us 
search for the evidence that we belong to the sacra- 
mental host of God's elect. Let us shake off the dull 
stupor which would settle upon us, and let us trust 
more fully in the Redeemer. Is not the assurance 
of the text sufficient to cause every disciple to take 
fresh courage ? 

" Ye feeble saints, fresh courage take." 

As the cause of Christ is to triumph throughout 
the earth, may we not even rejoice in the privilege of 
engaging in such a glorious work? " Blessed is the 
man that trusteth in the Lord." As the dew de- 
scends upon Hernion, so God commands blessings 
upon the laborers in his vineyard. As Israel was 
preserved while in the wilderness by manna, so 
Christ's people are fed upon the true bread of heaven, 
and because Christ lives, his people live also. 

Happy — thrice happy — he whose hope the Lord 
is. " Goodness and mercy shall follow him all the 
days of his life, and he shall dwell in the house of 
the Lord forever." The king upon his throne may 
boast of his royal robes and princely estate ) the no- 
bles of earth may glory in their mines of wealth; the 
warrior may proudly boast of blood-bought honor ob- 
tained by wading through seas of blood; but the 



AN IMPORTANT INQUIRY. 107 

humble believer has a costlier robe and more princely 
estate than earth's mightiest kings, a richer mine than 
all of earth's nobles, and more enduring honors than 
the most valiant warrior. The thrones of earth and 
princely robes will soon disappear, the treasures of 
this world may take to themselves wings and fly 
away, the honors of earth's victors will soon be laid 
low; but the crown which awaits the believer is a 
royal diadem which lasts forever. Yes, when the 
successive ages of eternity shall have run their am- 
ple round; when time and earth shall have been mil- 
lions of years passed away; there will stand the 
Christian in yonder realms of light, arrayed in a spot- 
less robe of purity, holding in his hand a glorious 
palm of victory, and wearing upon his brow a never- 
fading diadem, decked by the Saviour's hand. 



DISCOURSE VI. 

AN IMPORTANT INQUIRY. 

"Who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto 
the Lord?" — 1 Chronicles xxix. 5. 

These words fell from the lips of the servant of 
G-od ; David, but a short time previous to his death. 



108 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

He was anxious, now that the hour of his departure 
was drawing near, to see a people separating them- 
selves to the service of the Lord, and seeking to en- 
hance his kingdom. There is always something pe- 
culiarly instructive to be drawn from the lips of an 
aged disciple, and the voice of experience should be 
listen ed to with interest. Every thing connected 
with the scene now brought to view in the text, is 
peculiarly instructive, and strikingly impressive. 
The step of the aged pilgrim which was once elastic, 
has now become feeble; the arm. which was once 
strong in battle, has now lost its power; the eye 
which was once brilliant, is now dim with age; the 
locks which were once like the ravens, are now 
bleached by the storms of many winters; the brow 
which once betokened the season of youth and ma- 
ture manhood, is now deeply furrowed with the marks 
of time; the cheek which was once glowing with 
health, is now blanched and sunken; the voice which 
used to speak with force and power, has now become 
in a measure hollow and feeble, and evidently the 
sands of life have well nigh run. 

Listen ! listen then Israel ! for your king would 
give you a few words of instruction ere he departs to 
be here no more. 

The preparations for building the temple having 
been made by David, he charged his son Solomon to 
see to its erection. David's anxiety for the welfare 



AN IMPORTANT INQUIRY. 109 

of Israel abates not in the least degree "with ad- 
vancing age, but to the contrary, as the shadow of 
death begins to fall upon him, his thoughts turn to 
Israel with deep anxiety, and his last counsel is 
given. With feelings of deep interest is the appeal 
to Israel made, and Israel's king is made to rejoice 
by reason of the readiness of the people. The words 
of the text were not uttered in vain, for a people who 
were willing to give themselves up to the service of 
the Lord were present, and at once responded to the 
call. 

In like manner as the words fell upon the ears of 
the host of Israel do they reach us to-day; and, with 
a depth of meaning do they come to the heart of each 
one present, calling for an immediate consecration to 
the Lord. To consecrate our service to the Lord, 
implies a yielding up of self, and devoting our talents 
and all we have and are to Christ. We are called 
upon to engage our service in the spreading and 
promulgating of Immanuel's cause, and by thus doing 
we become co-workers with God. We are called 
upon to act as standard bearers, to wave continu- 
ally the standard of the cross, and make known, so 
far as in us lies, the glorious news of salvation. 

But while we are called upon to labor in the Mas- 
ter's vineyard, we are not called upon to labor with- 
out remuneration, for a reward is given for service 
rendered, which is of infinite worth and eternal in 



110 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

durability. It is sometimes the case that we allow 
our zeal to become feeble, and we feel as if our labor 
spent in the service of Christ must necessarily be 
very limited, as the pressing duties of life, and the 
open door for earthly pleasures, seem calling for all 
our time. We are sometimes so blinded with the 
glittering things of earth, that we almost feel as if a 
life of consecration is what we would wish to have 
when called upon to step from time into the reali- 
ties of eternity; but so long as we are blest with 
health and prosperity, we feel as if the day of conse- 
cration may be put off. Such reasoning is highly 
presumptive and dangerous in the extreme. It is 
running counter to every precept of the gospel. 
Now is the accepted time, behold noio is the day of 
salvation. No earthly or temporal motive should 
ever be allowed to creep into our hearts and prevent 
us from at once obeying the injunction of inspiration. 
We are most sensibly impressed that many worldly 
motives often conduce to keep back the heart from 
Christ and a consecration to his cause; but when 
we, for a moment, pause and view these things in 
the light of eternity, how utterly insignificant do 
they all appear. Compare but for a moment a few 
days of sinful pleasure with an eternity of happiness; 
a lump of sordid gold with an inheritance above; a 
crown of worldly honor with a never-fading diadem; 
a laurel of blood-bought praise, with a glorious palm 



AN IMPORTANT INQUIRY. Ill 

of victory over sin, death and the grave through the 
blood of the Lainb, and who we ask can fail to see 
the propriety of having respect unto the recompense 
of the reward above ? 

When intelligently viewed in the light of eternity, 
how all important does it appear that we improve the 
present passing moments in the service of the Re- 
deemer. 

An example directly to the point, and worthy of im- 
itation, is that of Moses the servant of God, who, we 
are informed, chose rather to suffer affliction with 
the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin 
for a season. This holy man spurned Egypt's gods, 
and sought a refuge in the Most High, that he might 
be prepared to at last enter the pearly mansions of 
rest. And it is no less important for us to seek to 
be prepared to .meet our last change, inasmuch as we 
are all destined to appear before the same solemn tri- 
bunal, and pass the same solemn test before God. 
With these few prefatory remarks we shall now con- 
sider 

1. The freeness of the gospel call. 

2. What are the necessary requisitions to an ac- 
ceptance. 

3. The happiness in store for the righteous. 
First, then, we shall speak upon the freeness of the 

gospel call. The call of the gospel is one of a uni- 
versal character, without any regard to earthly rank 



112 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

or distinction. Wherever the light of the gospel 
shines, there is this solemn question directed to each 
individual. There is no distinction of race, color, or 
condition; for all sprang from the same representa- 
tive Head, and all are by nature in the same condem- 
nation. But the call is not only extended to all, but 
God has designed to save a people from every habit- 
able portion of the globe. The shrill notes of salva- 
tion are intended to roll on over vale and mountain 
gathering in a people as the echo swells and rolls, 
until the uttermost corners of the earth have heard 
of the glad tidings of salvation. Yes, it shall be like 
the lightning which cometh from the one part under 
heaven, and shineth even unto the other part under 
heaven; and, as its light flashes and streams from 
shore to shore, so shall it be with the light of the 
gospel. Are there sinners upon the darkened shores 
of India? A free gospel is now presented to them. 
Are there fallen ones upon the far-off isles of the 
sea? There, too, the sweet notes of salvation are de- 
signed to find their way. Are there sinners here? 
Here, dear hearers, is for you a free gospel. All are 
in the same condemnation, for all have sinned and 
come short. 

But man is not only offered salvation, but he is 
most earnestly and solemnly urged to accept of the 
way of life, thus showing us that it is of the utmost 
importance to our future interests. When the Sa- 



AN IMPORTANT INQUIRY. 113 

viour was upon the earth, especially and earnestly did 
he seek to interest his kinsmen, the Jews ; in this 
great salvation, even weeping over the rejection he 
received in the beloved city of Jerusalem, and in view 
of the fearful doom awaiting the inhabitants. He even 
exclaims, while viewing the much-loved city, and 
contemplating the rebelliousness of its inhabitants, 
" Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou which killest the 
prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, 
how often would I have gathered thy children to- 
gether, even as a hen doth gather her chickens under 
her wings, and ye would not. Behold ! your house 
is left unto you desolate." 

Oh, sinners ! so will it ere long be with you ; if you 
continue to reject the Saviour. The hour is fast has- 
tening when your house will be left unto you desolate. 
The Spirit of God, which would now draw you, will 
forever leave you, and the kind offers of the Saviour 
fail to impress you. Perhaps you have almost at 
times been persuaded to become a Christian, but in 
an evil hour of unbelief you forgot your resolutions, 
you became entangled again with the things of the 
world, and you are still upon the broad road which 
leads to despair. Again would we beseech you to 
reflect and consider. You have been for these many 
years sowing to the wind, and without repentance 
you must ere long reap the whirlwind. 

11 



114 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

But farther, the Saviour requests an acceptance 
even for his very work's sake. Every inducement is 
placed before the mind to cause it to yield to the Sa- 
viour. The works which the Saviour performed 
were well known among the Jews, and were an in- 
controvertible attestation of his Messiahship. 

Thus are we, as well as the Jews, without excuse. 

It is contrary to every act and offer of the Saviour 
for man to perish; but we are assured that many, 
many precious souls, will reject Christ, and be forever 
lost. Nevertheless, we are assured that the gospel 
will be unto God a sweet savor in condemning such 
as turn a deaf ear to his calls and invitations; for the 
Apostle Paul, in speaking of the triumphs of the gos- 
pel, says : " For we are unto God a sweet savor of 
Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that pe- 
rish : to the one we are the savor of death unto death; 
and to the other the savor of life unto life." Oh ! 
dear friends, did you ever pause and reflect that the 
gospel ; if rejected, would be unto God a sweet savor 
in condemning you in the day of judgment? Did 
you ever view yourself ushered into the presence of 
God, and called upon to give an account of your 
stewardship? Such will soon be the case. Your 
limbs, although to-day elastic, will soon be cold and 
motionless; and your voice, although to-day strong 
and clear, may be soon forever still. Your life, at 
best, is but a vapor, which appeareth for a little time, 



AN IMPORTANT INQUIRY. 115 

and then vanisheth away. Life is short, yea, short 
and uncertain. How often do we see this to be the 
case, even within our own circle of acquaintance! 
Probably there is not one present, who has not been 
deeply startled by the unexpected departure of some 
near friend. In a moment, when, perhaps, we had 
not the remotest thought that death was near, a dear 
friend or intimate acquaintance has been suddenly 
cut down, and placed in the silent tomb. You were 
aroused, you were shocked, and perhaps you then 
made the solemn promise that you would seek an in- 
terest in Christ. Years may have since rolled quickly 
away, and how is it with you to-day? Have those 
resolutions been fulfilled, and are you now rejoicing 
in hope of the glory of G od ? If so, you can say with 
the Psalmist, " It is good for me that I have been 
afflicted." But if to-day you stand with a broken 
vow resting upon you, how critical your state! You 
once promised God you would serve him the remain- 
ing remnant of your days, and at the time you were 
sincere; but in a little time you allowed the world to 
creep in between your own heart and Christ, and you 
were thus dissuaded from performing your vows unto 
God. and you turned away from your promises, and 
to-day you are wandering upon the dark mountains 
which surround the regions of despair. Dear hearer, 
if this be your situation, be admonished. God is not 
mocked. His just wrath and indignation may be for 



116 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

the present withheld, but not quenched. The sword 
of justice may not have yet laid you low, but it may 
already be seen gleaming over you. The arrow of 
death may not have yet left the bow; but it is fitted 
to the string, and ready. But, in this calamitous 
state, rejoice, dear friend, that to-day there is a way 
of escape. Although you have despised God's holy 
law, — although you have rejected his counsel, and 
have written bitter things over your head, there is 
even at this late moment a door of hope open for you, 
and you are again saluted with the offer of pardon. 
Do you ask from whom you may obtain this pardon ? 
We answer, it can only be obtained from that Being 
whom you have slighted and injured. 

We shall therefore now consider what are the ne- 
cessary requisitions to an acceptance. And we would 
remark, in the first place, there must be a sense of 
need. In order for any thing to be valuable to us, it 
must not only be of great worth, but we must esteem 
it so. Hence if we under-estimate the Saviour's of- 
fers of mercy, we are thereby unfitted to come to 
him. A gift is valuable to us only as we properly 
appreciate its worth and the motives of the donor. 
Hence, although the sinner feels that he is unrecon- 
ciled to God, there is that within his heart which 
precludes the idea of obtaining salvation in the gospel 
way, in consequence of the strong desire to merit, and 
an under-estimate of the value of that which we can- 



AN IMPORTANT INQUIRY. 117 

not in this manner obtain ; and until these ideas are 
changed, there can never be an acceptable approach 
to Christ. If personal acts of obedience were the 
terms of salvation, how quickly would the mass of 
mankind set at work; but such is not the case. We 
must look to another source to obtain light and life. 
We must look to Christ as he is revealed in the gos- 
pel. But it is not enough that we be able to theo- 
retically understand the great plan of salvation, for 
we may thoroughly acquaint ourselves with the sacred 
Word, and perhaps be able in some degree to explain 
its truths and quite clearly understand its doctrines, 
and yet not be personally interested in the Saviour. 
There must be, as we before stated, a sense of need. 
From whence, then, do we obtain a saving sense of 
need? A true and saving sense of need arises from 
the direct operation of the Holy Spirit upon the 
heart. Here, then, we find a key by which we un- 
lock the entire mystery. It is the Holy Spirit which 
teaches us our need of the Saviour. When a person 
thus becomes awakened, the doctrines and truths of 
the gospel find a lodgment in the heart, and the once 
theoretical knowledge becomes practical, and a life of 
activity and usefulness is the result. That we may 
the more distinctly impress the idea of the Spirit's 
agency upon the heart in regeneration, we would re- 
fer you to Xicodemus ; who, we are informed, was a 
ruler among the Jews. We learn by the narrative 
11* 



118 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

that lie came to Jesus by night to listen to his in- 
struction. But no sooner does he commence con- 
versing with Christ than he is told that in order to 
see (that is, have a saving interest in) the kingdom 
of God, man must be born again. And the Saviour 
explains to him the mysterious operation of the Spirit 
upon the heart when he sees that Nicodemus does 
not understand him. Therefore, he sa}s, 6i The wind 
bloweth where it listeth, and thou nearest the sound 
thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whi- 
ther it goeth; so is everyone that is born of the Spi- 
rit." Here we find one who was well schooled in the 
theology of the Old Testament, and who had even 
attained to the office of a ruler amongst his brethren, 
who nevertheless lacked a saving interest in Christ, 
and was experiment 'ally a stranger to the doctrines of 
grace. But here, you will observe, the Saviour does 
not speak in any derogatory manner to Nicodemus for 
having so great a reputation amongst the Jews, but, 
upon the other hand, he marvels that one who had 
so good an understanding should fail to know that 
the Spirit alone can savingly teach the heart. But 
before we dismiss this interesting narrative, we would 
remark that we believe there is conclusive proof that 
the interview of Nicodemus with Jesus was not in 
vain, and that he perhaps at that very time was 
savingly made acquainted with Christ. The very 
fact that Nicodemus came to Christ for a personal 



AN IMPORTANT INQUIRY. Ill) 

interview, shows an anxious state of mind, and the 
next that we hear of him is in John viii. 50, where 
we find Nicodemus amongst the rulers defending 
Christ, saying, doth our law judge any man before 
it hear him and know what he doeth? Another 
proof is, after the death of Christ, Nicodemus* came 
bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes of about a 
hundred pounds weight with which to embalm the 
body of Jesus. These facts we think afford conclu- 
sive proof that the journey of Nicodemus to the Sa- 
viour was the means of good, and proved effectual 
through the operation of the Spirit. 

A lesson may be here derived which is of much 
practical benefit to the anxious. The conduct of 
Xicodemus is commendatory, inasmuch as he went 
directly to Christ. He did not substitute anything 
else for a personal interview with the Saviour. In 
like manner should the anxious always go directly to 
Christ. Often do we fear that the anxious are mis- 
guided from a lack of scriptural instruction in this 
direction. The individual is often guided to that 
which is substitutionary and tangible in its nature, 
instead of being pointed directly to Christ. And, if 
falsely taught that through the efficiency of any sub- 
stitutionary means he becomes a disciple, the error 
is liahle to prove fatal. It is a quicksand into which 
it is unsafe to step, a rope of sand soon to be broken. 



120 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

Again, we must have a godly sorrow for sin. 

As we see our sinfulness we must feel sorrowful 
and repent if we would come to Christ and receive 
his favor. And, as we look into our hearts we shall 
see great guilt ; but as we look to Christ for help we 
shall find him ready to receive us. It is true we 
may be almost overwhelmed when we behold the flag- 
rant crimes we have committed, but Christ's blood 
avails for even the chief of sinners. 

But perhaps some are ready to say I do not con- 
sider myself a great sinner, I have never profaned 
God's holy name, I have lived a correct moral life 
from my youth up, and therefore how can I be con- 
demned. Such reasoning is the very quintessence of 
self-righteousness. 

There stands a sin of which the moral and profane 
are alike guilty, which rises far above and overtops 
all others, and stands forth in all of its hideousness; 
a sad spectacle to believers, a wonder to angels, and 
an insult to the Saviour. Would you know the sin? 
It is to reject Christ. 

This sin upon the great and solemn day when the 
dead, small and great, stand before God, will be found 
to be the fatal rock upon which countless numbers 
have stranded. '-This is the condemnation that light 
has come into the world, and ye have chosen the 
darkness rather than light, because your deeds were 
evil." Ye knew your duty, but did it not, will for- 



AN IMPORTANT INQUIRY. 121 

over gnaw upon the soul like the worm that never 
dies. 

Again, we must come to Christ in the exercise of 
faith. He that cometh to God must believe that he is, 
and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek 
him. We are commanded to look to Christ for justi- 
fication, and we are to receive his righteousness by 
faith; and when we trust wholly in him, he becomes 
our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification and 
redemption, and our sins, which are red, like crimson, 
and as scarlet become like unto snow and as wool. 

Thirdly : We shall now consider the happiness in 
store for the righteous. 

We would now, in so far as we can, set before you 
the joys, the eternal joys which await the believer. 
But what tongue can fully describe those ineffable 
joys which await the believer? What stammering 
tODgue can paint those joys at God's right hand for 
evermore? Our ravished soul would fain draw aside 
the veil, and view with breathless awe the glories of 
the. world to come. As we contemplate those fast 
approaching joys, what bright visions fill the enrap- 
tured soul. We behold the beautiful city in which 
the ransomed throng are forever before the throne of 
God enjoying continually those mansions of rest pre- 
pared by the Saviour. We behold in each hand a 
glorious palm of victory, and we hear those blessed 
words falling from the lips of glorified saints, "Worthy, 



122 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES FOR THE LAITY. 

worthy, worthy the Lamb that was slain, for thou 
hast redeemed us." We behold upon each brow a 
crown of life placed there by the Saviour's hand, 
while the sweet notes of the golden harps are swell- 
ing the grand anthem of praise. We also behold 
Jesus, the captain of our salvation, leading his people 
unto living fountains of water. Is it not, then, dear 
friends, better to depart and be with Christ? Is it 
not gain to die ? Cannot the believer, as he looks 
forward to the grave, even see rays of divine glory 
hovering around the tomb? Can he not look for- 
ward with joy and rejoicing to the time when this 
a corruptible shall put on incorruption ; and this mortal 
put on immortality?" Yea, can he not, when called 
upon to grapple with the King of terrors, -triumph- 
antly exclaim, u O death! where is thy sting? 
grave! where is thy victory?" 

Oh! dear hearers, has not the believer whereof to 
glory, as he beholds even the destruction of the last 
great enemy ? 

"Asleep in Jesus, blessed sleep, 
Prom which none ever wakes to weep ; 
A calm and undisturbed repose, 
Unbroken by the last of foes." 

Oh ! my dear friends, there is a power in the re- 
ligion of Jesus which enables the believer to triumph 
even in the hour of death, for he feels that though 
called upon to pass through the valley of the shadow 



AN IMPORTANT INQUIRY. 123 

of death, lie will ere long reach the glorious climes 
of bliss and immortality, where the soul can forever 
enjoy the sweet communion of the Saviour, and 
where the voice can join in the many-toned seraphic 
anthem of praise which continually floats throughout 
the realms of paradise. 

No cloud of darkness will then sweep across our 
horizon to obscure the beatific joys, for an eternal 
noon shall forever reign. JSTo care-worn look of trial 
or disappointment, neither the pallor of sickness nor 
the furrows of age will meet the eye, for the former 
things will have passed away. There we shall for- 
ever sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and 
all of the holy patriarchs and prophets, and with all 
of the glorified saints behold the ever-unfolding glo- 
ries of God and the Lamb. There we shall find no 
temptation to resist, nor mourn because the deep 
fountains of corruption arise and at times flow over, 
despite our prayers and tears; for we shall be forever 
purified through the blood of the Lamb. 

Oh! is it not a high privilege to be a Christian? 
Is it not the most distinguished calling to which man 
can aspire, to consecrate his service to God and be- 
come an heir of glory? 

In conclusion, allow us once more to ask, who in 
this assembly will consecrate his service this day to 
the Lord ? The Father is ready to forgive you, the 
Saviour is anxious to receive you, and Paradise will 



124 PRACTICAL DISCOURSES TOR THE LAITY. 

ring with songs of joy and rejoicing at your conver- 
sion. 

" Who can describe the joys that rise 
Through all the courts of Paradise, 
To see a prodigal return, 
To see an heir of glory born." 

Beholcl! we set before you this day life and death. 
Choose ye ; therefore, whom ye will serve; ye cannot 
serve God and mammon. 



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